Who is Dhiman Chakma?

From poster boy of perseverance to a cautionary tale of power and rot.

india loves comeback stories—especially when they’re powered by grit, geography-defying ambition, and the holy grail called UPSC. Dhiman Chakma was once that story. A young man from remote Kanchanpur in Tripura who cracked the toughest exam twice, climbed from IFS to IAS, and became a viral symbol of hope. Then came june 8, 2025—when the myth collided head-on with money, power, and a vigilance trap. What followed wasn’t just an arrest; it was a gut-punch to public faith.

1) The origin myth that inspired millions
From Kanchanpur, Tripura—far from coaching hubs and privilege—Chakma’s journey was sold as proof that merit still wins. social media crowned him a role model; aspirants saw themselves in him.

2) UPSC cracked. Then cracked again.
First, the Indian Forest service (2019). Then the Indian Administrative service (2021)—a rare double that cemented his reputation as an elite even among elites.

3) The badge of power
Posted as Sub-Collector, Dharamgarh (Kalahandi, Odisha), the office came with authority, access, and discretion—exactly the cocktail that tests character.

4) june 8, 2025: Red-handed
Odisha Vigilance swooped in. The 2021-batch IAS officer was allegedly caught accepting a ₹10 lakh bribe at his official residence—no ambiguity, no whispers, a straight trap by Odisha Vigilance.

5) The cash trail nobody could explain away
House searches reportedly recovered ₹47 lakh more. The total—₹57 lakh—turned a “mistake” defense into a credibility crater.

6) The jail chapter
Bhawanipatna jail replaced bureaucratic corridors. The halo slipped. The headlines hardened.

7) Bail, not acquittal
On July 24, 2025, the Orissa High Court granted conditional bail. Freedom returned—innocence did not. Cases aren’t cleared by bail orders; they’re tested by trials.

8) The education that promised better
A B.Tech in Computer Science from NIT Agartala—technical training, analytical thinking, and a future that should’ve demanded integrity as its baseline.

9) The real cost: public trust
This isn’t just one officer’s fall. It’s another dent in a system already bleeding credibility, where citizens pay bribes to unlock services that are their rights.

10) The uncomfortable truth
When celebrated officers fall so spectacularly, the damage isn’t personal—it’s national. Aspirants feel betrayed. Citizens feel cheated. The honest inside the system feel undermined.

The bottom line

Merit opens doors. Character decides what you do once inside.

Stories like Dhiman Chakma’s sting because they begin as proof that india works—and end as reminders of why it often doesn’t. Corrupt officials and complicit politics aren’t side-problems; they are the drag chain on a country trying to sprint. Until accountability outruns applause, the distance between india and the countries it wants to catch will remain stubbornly wide.