Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has reinstated IAS officer Dhiman Chakma, who was placed under suspension after being arrested in a bribery case last year, official sources said Saturday.
Chakma, a 2021-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as deputy secretary in the Revenue Department and resumed his duties last month, the sources said, adding that no official reason has been given for his reinstatement.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had placed Chakma under suspension June 10, 2025, a day after he was sent to judicial custody following his arrest in a bribery case.
According to officials, Chakma was serving as the sub-collector of Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district when he was caught by Vigilance Department sleuths June 9, 2025, while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a businessman.
During subsequent searches, Vigilance officials reportedly seized Rs 47 lakh in cash from his official residence. Raids were also conducted at his residence in Tripura as part of the investigation, officials said.
In a statement issued at the time, the Vigilance Department alleged that Chakma had demanded Rs 20 lakh from the businessman by threatening adverse action against his business. He was allegedly caught while accepting Rs 10 lakh as an instalment of the bribe amount.
A case was registered against Chakma June 9, 2025, under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
Before joining the IAS cadre, Chakma was an Odisha-cadre Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of the 2019 batch. He served as assistant conservator of forests in Baripada in Mayurbhanj district, from June 2021. After clearing the Civil Services Examination in 2021, he joined the IAS cadre and was appointed sub-collector of Dharamgarh in January 2024.
