Central Administrative Tribunal Rejects Review Petition, Supports Sameer Wankhede

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In a noteworthy development, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has delivered a verdict rejecting a review petition, providing significant backing to former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede. This decision comes as a setback to Deputy Director General Gyaneshwar Singh, who had been leading an investigation into alleged procedural lapses by the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer in the Cordelia Cruise drug bust case. Additionally, accusations of extorting Rs 25 crore from Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan had been under scrutiny.

The CAT’s recent decision builds on an earlier ruling made in August, where it was determined that NCB Deputy DG Gyaneshwar Singh should not have been a part of the inquiry team tasked with investigating the alleged procedural lapses by Sameer Wankhede in the bribery case.

In its August 21 order, the tribunal had emphasized that, as the findings submitted by the inquiry team were preliminary in nature, the Union government and NCB were required to provide Sameer Wankhede with a personal hearing before taking any action based on the report.

The tribunal’s argument revolved around the fact that senior IPS officer Gyaneshwar Singh had provided instructions to Wankhede related to the investigation of the drugs-on-cruise case. This involvement was deemed to make him unsuitable to be a part of the inquiry team examining Wankhede’s conduct.

This decision from the CAT is significant, not only for Sameer Wankhede but also for the ongoing investigations related to the high-profile Cordelia Cruise drug bust and the allegations surrounding Shah Rukh Khan. It reaffirms the need for a fair and unbiased inquiry process while protecting the rights of individuals under scrutiny. The case continues to draw significant attention and is expected to have far-reaching implications.