The Orissa High Court has granted conditional bail to two IAS officers, Chintan Raghubanshi and Dhiman Chakma, who were arrested in separate bribery cases.
The rulings, delivered on Thursday, come with stringent conditions to ensure compliance with ongoing investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Odisha Vigilance Department.
Chintan Raghubanshi, a Deputy Director at the Enforcement Directorate (ED), was arrested by the CBI on May 30, 2025, for allegedly accepting a ₹20 lakh bribe. Justice Gourishankar Satapathy, after hearing Raghubanshi’s bail plea, granted conditional bail on Thursday. The court imposed a bond of ₹1 lakh with two sureties of the same amount and barred Raghubanshi from leaving the country without prior permission. The CBI had presented evidence of the bribe transaction, with the hearing concluding on Tuesday and the order published on Thursday.
In a parallel case, IAS officer Dhiman Chakma, formerly the Sub-Collector of Dharmagarh, was granted conditional bail with a bond of ₹5 lakh and two sureties. The Odisha Vigilance Department arrested Chakma for allegedly demanding ₹20 lakh from a businessman and accepting ₹10 lakh. A search of his official residence uncovered ₹47 lakh in cash. The court ordered Chakma not to influence witnesses or tamper with evidence and to cooperate fully with the Vigilance investigation. Following his arrest, Chakma was suspended from service.
Both officers face strict conditions, including mandatory cooperation with investigative agencies and restrictions on tampering with evidence.