Odisha Govt suspends Dharamgarh Sub-Collector caught taking Rs 10 lakh bribe

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], June 10 (ANI): The Odisha government has suspended Dhiman Chakma, the Sub-Collector of Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district. Chakma was caught red-handed on Monday while allegedly accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe from a local businessman.
"Governor of Odisha in exercise of powers conferred under sub-rule 3 of rule 3 of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969 hereby places the said Shri Dhiman Chakma, IAS (RR-2021) under suspension with immediate effect," said the order issued by the General Administration Department of the State government.
"It is further ordered that during the period of suspension, the headquarters of Shri Chakma, IAS is fixed at the GA&PG Department, Government of Odisha, Bhubaneswar, and he shall not leave the said headquarters without prior permission of the undersigned," the order added.
On Monday, Odisha Vigilance Department said that during further searches at Chakma's residence, an additional Rs 47 lakh in cash was recovered, and Investigations are ongoing.
Chakma, the 2021-batch IAS officer, had allegedly demanded a total of Rs 20 lakh as a bribe, threatening to take action against the businessman's enterprise if the payment was not made, the Odisha Vigilance said in a release.
Chakma called the complainant to his official residence in Dharamgarh, where he accepted Rs. 10 lakh as the first instalment, it said.
The IAS officer was caught "red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a local businessman," the department said in the release.
The accused Sub Collector called the complainant to his official government residence at Dharamgarh, received the bribe amount, verified the 26 number of 100-note bundles of different denominations with both his hands, and kept the same inside his residence office table drawer. Both hand wash and table drawer wash gave a positive chemical reaction, the release said.
A case has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018). More details are awaited as the probe continues. (ANI)