Bhopal: A woman tehsildar who had earlier gained national recognition after appearing on Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) has been arrested in connection with an alleged flood relief scam of Rs 2.5 crore in Madhya Pradesh, police said.
The accused, Amita Singh Tomar, was arrested from Gwalior on Thursday after investigations found alleged financial irregularities in the distribution of relief funds meant for flood-affected families in Baroda tehsil following the 2021 floods.
Officials said Tomar had sought anticipatory bail from the High Court and the Supreme Court, but her petitions were r
ejected, following which police moved ahead with her arrest. She was later produced before a local court and sent to a women’s jail in neighbouring Shivpuri district.
Authorities also confirmed that she had recently been removed from her post as tehsildar before the arrest action was taken.
According to investigators, the case relates to the alleged diversion of flood relief money into fake bank accounts instead of distributing it to genuine beneficiaries. The suspected fraud came to light during an audit of relief distribution records.
Police said more than 100 people, including revenue officials and patwaris, have been named in the case, and several arrests have already been made as part of the ongoing probe.
Tomar had earlier come into the spotlight after winning Rs 50 lakh on Kaun Banega Crorepati, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, which brought her national attention. Her arrest has now drawn significant public interest because of her earlier television fame.