Bombay HC to hear Sameer Wankhede plea against CBI FIR today

On the CBI FIR filed against him, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) former zonal director Sameer Wankhede said that the case was aimed at damaging his reputation. He filed a plea in the Bombay High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR filed against him in the Cordelia cruise drug bust.

Mumbai (Maharashtra) : The Bombay High Court will hold a hearing on the plea made by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) former zonal director Sameer Wankhede seeking the quashing of the FIR filed by the CBI against him in the Cordelia cruise drug bust case. This case pertains to Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan, who was arrested at that time and later released on bail.

Earlier, a bench of the Bombay HC directed the Central Bureau of Investigation not to take action against Sameer Wankhede till May 22 when it will hold the next hearing on this case. The CBI has filed the FIR against the IRS officer for allegedly demanding a huge bribe from the Bollywood actor for sparing his son in the drug bust case.

Wankhede, who did not appear before the central agency for questioning initially, approached the High Court seeking relief from action relating to the FIR in the drug bust case. He has claimed that the case filed against him is intended to damage his name and reputation. On the CBI questioning, Wankhede said that he was cooperating with the investigation and that he had nothing to be afraid of.

The HC vacation bench comprising Justices Sharmila U Deshmukh and Arif S Doctor heard the plea of Sameer Wankhede. It was on October 3, 2021, the Bollywood actor's son was arrested by the NCB in the cruise ship drug case. On October 28 the same year, Aryan Khan was granted bail by the Bombay HC.

In its FIR, the CBI accused Wankhede of resorting to “criminal misconduct and corrupt practices” while discharging his duty as the Zonal Director of NCB’s Mumbai unit when the investigation of the Cordelia drug bust case came up.