A former government official who once captured national attention on Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) is now at the center of a corruption case in Madhya Pradesh, with investigators accusing her of embezzling crores of rupees from flood relief funds. Amita Singh Tomar, who won ₹50 lakh on the show in 2019, was arrested from her Gwalior home on March 26 and later sent to the women’s jail in Shivpuri.
Tomar, who served as Tehsildar in Vijaypur, Sheopur district, is accused of being part of a ₹2-2.5 crore scam related to the distribution of compensation following the devastating floods of 2021. According to the investigation, officials had identified 794 affected residents in Baroda tehsil as eligible beneficiaries. However, a subsequent audit revealed that instead of reaching the affected individuals, the money was allegedly diverted to at least 127 fake or unrelated bank accounts. Police claim this diversion was not random, but part of a larger pattern of manipulation of government records and beneficiary lists.
The matter escalated when investigators named over 100 individuals, including over two dozen patwaris, and accused them of complicity at various levels of revenue administration. Significantly, the investigators pointed to financial transactions allegedly linked to accounts belonging to Tomar’s family members. Based on these findings, the Baroda police filed cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, including fraud, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, citing misuse of official position in distributing government aid.
Sheopur Superintendent of Police Sudhir Kumar Agarwal confirmed the arrest, saying, “The Tehsildar was charged in this case, arrested, and presented in the local court. The matter is under investigation.”
Tomar’s anticipatory bail application was initially rejected by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, paving the way for his arrest. Administrative action followed swiftly, with Sheopur Collector Arpit Verma removing him from his post just a day before the police arrived.
Court documents state that the prosecution alleges Tomar played a key role in approving documentation to divert funds meant for flood victims. Meanwhile, his defense argued that he was falsely implicated and that his role was largely procedural. His legal team stated that the beneficiary list and bank details were prepared by Patwaris and verified by Revenue Inspectors and Naib Tehsildars, after which the files were presented to them for signing and forwarding.
The defense further stated that Tomar neither made any financial transactions nor received any direct monetary benefit, and his name was not initially mentioned in the FIR. It also pointed out that several co-accused, including Patwaris allegedly involved in preparing the records, have already been granted bail.