Latest news with #OdishaVigilanceDepartment
NDTV
5 days ago
- NDTV
Gold Coins, Rs 1.5 Crore Cash And Counting: Odisha Forest Officer Raided
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Vigilance Department on Friday raided six locations linked to a forest official after detecting disproportionate assets beyond his known sources of income and recovered at least Rs 1.44 crore in cash. During the early morning raids at the six locations linked to deputy ranger Rama Chandra Nepak, four gold biscuits and 16 gold coins weighing 10 grams each were also found. Multiple teams of senior officials were deployed to raid Nepak, who worked at the Jaipur forest range. The operations were continuing, officials said. The huge amount of cash was recovered from his flat in an apartment in Jaipur. A currency-counting machine had to be brought to his house during the raid. Raids were also ongoing at a flat he owned in the same apartment. Searches were also ongoing at his office, a house built on his ancestral land in Jaipur, his in-laws' house in Jaipur, and his brother's flat in Bhubaneswar. Second Forest Officer Raided In 1 Week A Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) in Keonjhar was raided last week, with officials finding 115 land plots in his name, gold weighing 200 grams, a small armoury containing rifles, and other assets worth crores. During raids at seven places of Nityananda Nayak on Sunday, the officials also recovered cash worth Rs 1.55 lakh, one four-storeyed building in Angul, two four-wheelers and four two-wheelers, and a collection of teak artefacts. He had the highest number of properties owned by any government officer.
News18
6 days ago
- News18
Odisha: Govt official arrested on graft charge
Agency: Bhubaneswar, Jul 24 (PTI) The Odisha Vigilance Department on Thursday arrested an executive engineer of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, after detecting disproportionate assets beyond his known sources of income, an official said. During raids conducted on Wednesday, the anti-corruption wing found three multi-storied buildings, a farmhouse and three high-value plots in his name, besides recovering 460 gm of gold and deposits over Rs 80 lakh from his possession, he said. A case has also been lodged against him for illegal possession of antler horns, the official said. Investigation is underway. PTI BBM RBT Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
22-07-2025
- News18
Odisha forest officer held for possessing assets, disproportionate to income
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Bhubaneswar, Jul 22 (PTI) The Odisha Vigilance Department on Tuesday arrested a forest officer for allegedly possessing assets, including 115 plots, disproportionate to his known source of income, officials said. During raids conducted at seven places, linked to the forest officer, in the past two days, sleuths of the anti-corruption wing of the state government detected 115 land parcels in his name and alsoin the possession of his family members. 'Arrested Nityananda Nayak is the divisional forest officer (DFO) Kendu Leaf Division, Keonjhar. He will be forwarded to the court of special judge, vigilance, Keonjhar today," the vigilance said in a statement. On the allegation of possession of assets, disproportionate to his known source of income, simultaneous raids were conducted at the office and properties of the DFO on Sunday and Monday, the officials said. The raids were conducted at seven places in Angul, Keonjhar and Nayagarh districts by three deputy superintendents of police, 10 inspectors, and other supporting staff on the strength of search warrants issued by Special Judge, Vigilance, Keonjhar, they said. During the search operations, the vigilance sleuths have found 115 plots in the possession of the DFO, an Odisha Forest Service (OFS) officer, and his family members. 'Out of the 115 plots, 53 are registered in the name of the forest officer, 42 recorded in the name of his spouse, 16 others in the names of his two sons and four in the name of his daughter," an anti-corruption department officer said. Besides, one multi-storeyed building and a farmhouse in Angul district were also detected by the department, he said. The vigilance officials also detected 200 grams of gold, Rs 10.25 lakh in cash, deposits over Rs 50.38 lakhs, and two four-wheelers during the raids. 'This is the highest number of plots, in the possession of a government employee, detected by the Odisha Vigilance till now," a vigilance officer said. The second highest of 105 plots, detected earlier, was in the possession of a chief construction engineer, Anandapur Barrage Project, Salapada, Keonjhar, the officer added. PTI BBM BBM BDC view comments First Published: July 22, 2025, 12:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hans India
11-06-2025
- Hans India
Senior Civil Servant Detained In Odisha Corruption Sting Operation
The Odisha Vigilance Department executed a successful anti-corruption operation on Sunday, apprehending Dhiman Chakma, a civil services officer from the 2021 batch, during an alleged bribery transaction involving Rs 10 lakh. Chakma, who serves as Sub-Collector in Kalahandi district, had reportedly demanded double this amount from a local business owner. The arrest occurred at Chakma's official government residence in Dharamgarh, where the officer allegedly received what vigilance officials described as a partial payment of a larger Rs 20 lakh demand. The businessman who became the complainant in this case alleged that the administrative officer had issued threats against his commercial operations unless the requested payment was made. During the carefully orchestrated sting operation, surveillance teams observed Chakma receiving the cash payment at his official quarters and subsequently placing the money in a desk drawer within his residence office. The officer reportedly methodically counted all 26 bundles of various denomination Rs 100 notes before securing them in the furniture. The vigilance investigation expanded beyond the immediate bribery incident, with search teams recovering approximately Rs 47 lakh in additional cash from various locations within the officer's official residence. This substantial sum raised further questions about the scope of alleged corrupt activities. Legal proceedings have commenced against Chakma under applicable provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, with investigators continuing to examine the full extent of the alleged misconduct. The case represents a significant development in the state's ongoing efforts to combat administrative corruption. The arrest carries particular significance given Chakma's previous public statements about public service ideals. Following his successful completion of the UPSC examination in 2021 and initial selection for the Indian Foreign Services, Chakma had expressed ambitious goals for serving his country and the northeastern region in particular. In a media interview at the time, he spoke passionately about addressing financial disparities and social divisions in the northeast, emphasizing his desire to work toward better resource utilization and regional unity. The contrast between these earlier stated aspirations for public welfare and the current allegations of exploiting his administrative position for personal gain has drawn attention to the challenges of maintaining ethical standards in civil service. The case underscores ongoing concerns about corruption within government departments and the importance of vigilance mechanisms in maintaining public trust. Authorities continue their investigation to determine whether additional individuals or transactions may be connected to this case, as part of broader efforts to ensure accountability in public administration.
Hindustan Times
10-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Odisha IAS officer Dhiman Chakma caught accepting ₹10 lakh bribe
Dhiman Chakma, a Sub-Collector of Dharamgarh in Odisha's Kalahandi district, was caught on Monday allegedly accepting a ₹10 lakh bribe from a local businessman, according to the Odisha Vigilance Department. M Radhakrishna, SP (Vigilance), said that Chakma was presented before the special vigilance court in Bhawanipatna, which denied his bail request and sent him to 14 days of judicial custody. Following the arrest, officials conducted searches at Chakma's government residence, where an additional ₹47 lakh in cash was recovered. Investigations are ongoing, the department said in a release. 'During the search, ₹47 lakh in cash was found from his quarters at Dharamgarh. As he could not give any satisfactory explanation regarding such huge cash, the same was seized,' Radhakrishna said. According to the Vigilance Department, Chakma, a 2021-batch IAS officer, allegedly demanded a total bribe of ₹20 lakh and threatened to take action against the businessman's enterprise if payment was not made. The Vigilance Department wrote on X: 'Today, Sri Dhiman Chakma, IAS (2021 batch), Sub-Collector, Dharamgarh, #Kalahandi, has been nabbed while taking a bribe of Rs. 10 Lakh from a businessman, threatening to act against his business otherwise. Further, ₹47 lakh cash was recovered during the search at his government's residence.' It further added: 'The overall bribe demanded was ₹20 lakh, & this was the 1st instalment. In this connection, Vigilance Cell PS Case No. 6 /2025 U/s 7 P. C. Act, 1988 as amended by P. C. (Amd) Act, 2018 has been registered. Investigation continues.' A video shared by the vigilance department showed currency notes recovered from Chakma's residence spread out on a bed as officials continued their search. Chakma called the complainant to his official residence According to a vigilance statement, 2021-batch IAS officer Dhiman Chakma allegedly threatened a local businessman, demanding ₹20 lakh to avoid action against him. The businessman reported the demand to Vigilance authorities, prompting officials to lay a trap on the night of June 8, 2025. 'Based on the complaint, a trap was laid on June 8, 2025, night, wherein accused Dhiman Chakma was nabbed by a team of Odisha Vigilance in his government quarters at Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district,' the statement said. It added that Chakma was caught red-handed accepting ₹10 lakh — the first instalment of the bribe — which was recovered from his possession in the presence of witnesses. The IAS officer was caught "red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹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. The SP said a case has been registered against IAS officer Dhiman Chakma under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. Chakma initially joined the Odisha cadre as a 2019-batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer. After completing his training, he served as Additional Chief Conservator at Baripada in Mayurbhanj from June 2021. He later cleared the civil services examination in 2021, was appointed as an IAS officer, and assigned to the Odisha cadre. Following training, Chakma took charge as Sub-Collector of Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district in January 2024, the official added. (With PTI, ANI inputs)
