KBC contestant arrested in scam: A former contestant who once captured national attention on the popular quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati is now facing serious legal trouble. Amita Singh Tomar, who won Rs 50 lakh on the fifth season of the show, has been arrested in connection with an alleged Rs 2.5 crore flood relief scam.
According to officials, Amita was detained in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, over her alleged involvement in financial irregularities related to flood relief funds. The case reportedly dates back to 2021, when discrepancies were discovered in the Baroda tehsil administration.
Amita first gained nationwide recognition in 2011 when she appeared on Kaun Banega Crorepati 5, hosted by Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan. At the time, she was working as a tehsildar and impressed viewers with her knowledge during the quiz show.
She successfully cleared the Fastest Finger First round and secured a place on the hot seat in episode 21. During the game, Amita reached the Rs 50 lakh question, which tested contestants on Indian history.
The question asked: “In the 1857 War, who was the Commander of the British army who fought against Rani Lakshmi Bai and Tatya Tope in Gwalior?”
The options given were:
A – Hugh Rose
B – Colonel Neill
C – William Hodson
D – John Nicholson
After taking a moment to think, Amita selected option A — Hugh Rose, which turned out to be the correct answer. That decision helped her win Rs 50 lakh on the show.
Years later, however, her career has taken a dramatic turn. Police officials confirmed that a team led by Baroda Sub Divisional Officer of Police Avneet Sharma arrested Amita from her residence in Gwalior’s Chandravadni Naka area.
Authorities stated that Amita had been serving as the tehsildar of Vijaypur but was removed from her post earlier this week by Collector Arpit Verma amid the ongoing investigation.
Her administrative career had already seen turbulence in recent years. In 2023, Amita submitted a resignation letter from her government position but later withdrew it. In the letter, she reportedly wrote, “For the last five years, I have been insulted. I thought I would be given the charge of the Tehsil when the new Collector was appointed, but that did not happen.”
During that period, she continued to work across various departments without being assigned a permanent role and was reportedly handling land records as a chief officer.
Meanwhile, Kaun Banega Crorepati continues to remain one of India’s most successful television formats. Hosted by Amitabh Bachchan for most of its run, the quiz show currently airs on Sony Entertainment Television and streams on SonyLIV, with its latest season concluding earlier this year.
