Amita Singh Tomar, who gained fame after winning Rs 50 lakh on Kaun Banega Crorepati 5, has been arrested in connection with a Rs 2.5 crore flood relief scam in Madhya Pradesh. Tomar, a former tehsildar of Vijaypur, was taken into custody on Thursday for her alleged involvement in irregularities that took place in 2021 in Baroda tehsil, Sheopur district.
According to officials, Tomar was traced and arrested from her home in Gwalior’s Chandravadni Naka by a team led by Baroda Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Avneet Sharma. She was subsequently lodged in a jail in neighboring Shivpuri after being produced in court. Tomar had earlier sought anticipatory bail in both the High Court and the Supreme Court, but her applications were rejected.
So far, 22 patwaris and one tehsildar have been arrested in connection with the 2021 flood relief scam, which allegedly involved Rs 2.5 crore being transferred into fake bank accounts. A total of 110 individuals have been named in the FIR. The case is being investigated by the SDOP of Baroda.
Tomar came into the public eye after appearing on Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) 5, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. During her appearance, she correctly answered a Rs 50 lakh question about the 1857 War, helping her secure the prize.
Police sources noted that Tomar had been absent from her official duties, prompting authorities to trace and arrest her in Gwalior. Investigations into the larger network involved in the scam are ongoing.
