Female Tehsildar, who won 50 lakh on KBC, arrested in 2.5 crore scam

A former government official who once gained national recognition on Kaun Banega Crorepati has now been arrested in connection with an alleged multi-crore fraud. Amita Singh Tomar, who won ₹50 lakh on the show in 2019, was arrested from her residence in Gwalior on March 26 and subsequently sent to a women’s jail in Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh.

Tomar, who served as a tehsildar in Vijaypur of Sheopur district, is accused of involvement in a ₹2–2.5 crore scam linked to the disbursal of compensation following the devastating 2021 floods. Investigators allege that funds meant for genuine beneficiaries were diverted into fake or unrelated bank accounts, raising serious concerns about manipulation within the relief distribution process.

According to the investigation, authorities had identified 794 flood-affected individuals eligible for compensation in Baroda tehsil. However, an audit later revealed that payments were allegedly routed into at least 127 suspicious accounts. Officials claim that this was not an isolated lapse but part of a systematic effort involving tampering with official records and beneficiary lists.

Police have stated that multiple officials were involved in the case, with more than 20 arrests already made, including revenue staff. Tomar had earlier sought anticipatory bail from higher courts, but her pleas were rejected. Following her arrest, she was produced in court and remanded to judicial custody.

The case has drawn significant attention due to Tomar’s past public recognition on television, where she had appeared opposite Amitabh Bachchan. Authorities have indicated that further investigation is underway to identify the full extent of the alleged scam and bring all those involved to justice.