In a major anti-corruption crackdown, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an IRS officer serving as a Deputy Director with the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), along with two other individuals, for allegedly demanding a massive ₹1 crore bribe. The arrested officer has been identified as Harish Kumar Tanwar, a 2017-batch Income Tax cadre IRS officer posted at the Chennai unit of SFIO.
The other accused arrested in the operation include Delhi-based lawyer Bharat Sharma and his relative Aryan Sharma. According to the CBI, the accused allegedly demanded the bribe from a complainant in exchange for providing relief and protection from arrest in an ongoing probe linked to the multi-crore DHFL (Diwan Housing Finance Corporation Limited) financial scam.
How the Extortion Plot Unfolded
The complainant, Gopal Shivaram Dalvi, approached the CBI with a written complaint alleging that SFIO investigating officer Harish Kumar Tanwar, lawyer Bharat Sharma, and their associates were coercing him for ₹1 crore by threatening him with imminent arrest and severe prosecution in the DHFL case.
Following verification of the allegations in the presence of independent witnesses, the CBI laid a trap. Lawyer Bharat Sharma was caught red-handed accepting the first installment of ₹20 lakh on behalf of the SFIO Deputy Director. Subsequently, Harish Kumar Tanwar and Aryan Sharma were also taken into custody. Raids were conducted at multiple properties linked to the accused, yielding incriminating documents.
Senior IRS Official Under Scanner
Investigative leads indicate that another senior IRS officer stationed at the SFIO is currently under the scanner for their supervisory role and potential complicity. While no formal arrest has been made regarding this senior official, questioning has taken place, and repatriation procedures back to their parent cadre have been initiated.
The CBI has registered a formal case under Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigations are underway to unearth the complete nexus and financial trails connected to the corporate fraud probe.
This investigative report is based on official CBI press statements and verified investigative updates regarding the ongoing corruption case. 'The Freelance' maintains strict editorial transparency in reporting judicial and law enforcement developments.
Crime & Legal Desk, The Freelance
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