CBI arrests Chennai SFIO deputy director, two others in Rs 1 crore bribery case

CHENNAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a deputy director-level officer of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), working in Chennai office, a Delhi-based advocate and another private individual in a Rs 1 crore bribery case linked to the investigation into the DHFL scam.

The accused have been identified as Harish Kumar Tanwar, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the 2017 batch posted as deputy director at the SFIO in Chennai; advocate Bharat Sharma; and Aryan Sharma, a relative of the advocate.

According to the CBI, the accused allegedly demanded Rs 1 crore from the complainant in exchange for favouring him in an investigation into the DHFL scam being conducted by the SFIO in Chennai, which functions under the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Following verification of the complaint and registration of a First Information Report (FIR), the CBI laid a trap and arrested the three accused. The arrests were made after Bharat Sharma allegedly received Rs 20 lakh from the complainant as part payment of the demanded bribe on behalf of the SFIO officer.

The CBI also conducted searches at the premises of the public servant and the advocate, during which it recovered incriminating material related to the case.

The investigation is in progress.