A revenue officer who once gained national attention after winning Rs 50 lakh on the quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati has been arrested in Madhya Pradesh for her alleged role in a Rs 2.5-crore flood-relief scam, police said.
Amita Singh Tomar, a tehsildar, was taken into custody from Gwalior in connection with alleged irregularities in the disbursement of relief funds in Sheopur district in 2021. Officials said she was produced before a court and later remanded to judicial custody in Shivpuri.
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Investigators allege that funds meant for flood-affected residents were diverted into fake bank accounts as part of a wider embezzlement network. The alleged fraud, valued at Rs 2.5 crore, is linked to Baroda tehsil, where several revenue officials are already under scrutiny.
Tomar had been serving as tehsildar in Vijaypur but was removed from her post by the district administration shortly before her arrest. Police said she had been absent from duty, prompting efforts to locate her. A team led by Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Avneet Sharma tracked her to her residence in Gwalior, where she was apprehended.
“A team led by Baroda Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Avneet Sharma arrested Tomar from her home in Gwalior's Chandravadni Naka. Tomar was the tehsildar of Vijaypur but was removed from the post by Collector Arpit Verma on Wednesday," the official said.
According to Superintendent of Police Sudhir Kumar Agarwal, the case involves a large number of accused, indicating an organised operation to manipulate official records and siphon off public funds. So far, more than 20 patwaris and another tehsildar have been arrested in the case. Around 110 individuals have been named in the First Information Report.
Officials said Tomar had earlier sought anticipatory bail from both the High Court and the Supreme Court, but her applications were rejected, clearing the way for her arrest.
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The case has attracted significant public attention due to Tomar's past visibility. She had appeared on Kaun Banega Crorepati, hosted by actor Amitabh Bachchan, where she won Rs 50 lakh and became widely known.
Police said the investigation is ongoing, with efforts focused on tracing the flow of funds and identifying all beneficiaries of the alleged fraud. Further arrests are likely as the probe progresses.
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