The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested an Indian Revenue Service officer posted in Chennai, along with a Delhi-based advocate and the advocate’s relative, in a bribery case tied to the Serious Fraud Investigation Office’s probe into DHFL. The agency says the alleged demand was for ₹1 crore and that the case is still under investigation.
Who has been arrested
The arrested public servant has been identified as Harish Kumar Tanwar, a 2017-batch IRS officer of the Income Tax cadre and Deputy Director at the SFIO’s Chennai office. The other accused are Delhi-based advocate Bharat Sharma and Aryan Sharma, described as a relative of the advocate.
What the complaint alleged
According to the CBI, the case was registered on the basis of a written complaint filed on October 12, 2026, by Gopal Shivram Dalvi. The complainant alleged that Tanwar, Bharat Sharma and others had sought ₹1 crore to help him in the SFIO investigation into the DHFL matter, and that he was threatened with arrest and prosecution if the money was not paid.
The agency said it verified the allegations on October 12 and 13 in the presence of independent witnesses. During that verification, Bharat Sharma allegedly asked the complainant to deliver ₹20 lakh as part payment on behalf of the SFIO officer.
Trap and arrests
After the verification, the CBI registered a First Information Report under Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which the source identifies as criminal conspiracy, and Sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. A trap was then laid, and the three accused were arrested after the advocate allegedly received ₹20 lakh from the complainant as the first instalment of the bribe for and on behalf of Tanwar.
Searches were conducted at the premises of the public servant and the advocate, and the agency says incriminating material related to the case was recovered. The investigation is continuing.
Wider DHFL probe context
Sources have indicated that a senior IRS officer of the Income Tax cadre, also posted at the SFIO, has come under the CBI’s scrutiny because of his supervisory role and has been questioned. The process to examine his role is said to be underway.
The present case concerns an alleged attempt to influence an ongoing SFIO investigation, not the underlying DHFL fraud itself. DHFL has been under scrutiny by multiple agencies, including the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate, since 2019 in connection with alleged irregularities involving loans of around ₹34,000 crore. Former promoters Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan have been accused of diverting bank funds through shell entities and other means.
The SFIO functions under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and has been examining the corporate fraud dimensions of the matter. The CBI has said further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the alleged conspiracy and whether any other persons were involved.
