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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated legal action against Sameer Wankhede, the former zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in connection with a money laundering case. Wankhede stands accused of demanding a bribe of ₹25 crore from actor Shah Rukh Khan to avoid implicating his son, Aryan Khan, in a drug case in October 2021. Additionally, Wankhede is alleged to have amassed wealth beyond his known sources of income.
The ED’s case is based on an FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in May of the previous year. According to sources of Hindustan Times, Wankhede is expected to be summoned for questioning by the ED soon.
Upon learning of the ED’s actions, Wankhede has sought relief from coercive measures through the high court. Notably, he had previously been granted relief in the CBI case.
The FIR filed by the CBI in May 2023 implicates Wankhede, along with former NCB SP Vishwa Vijay Singh, intelligence officer Ashish Ranjan, and two private individuals, Kiran Gosavi and Sanville D’Souza. Allegations suggest that a bribe of ₹25 crore was initially demanded from Shah Rukh Khan to prevent the framing of his son in the Cordelia drug case of October 2021. Subsequently, the bribe demand was purportedly reduced to ₹18 crore by the accused parties.
The CBI has already interrogated Wankhede and the other accused individuals. Wankhede, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, has refuted the charges against him, labeling the CBI’s actions as a result of vendetta by certain NCB officers.
The arrest of Aryan Khan on October 3, 2021, following a raid on the Cordelia cruise in Mumbai, stirred controversy. However, a special investigation team (SIT) formed by the NCB later exonerated Aryan Khan on May 27 of the following year, stating that he was not involved in any larger drug-dealing racket as alleged by Wankhede.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the case continues to draw attention for its implications on both the individuals involved and the broader context of law enforcement and accountability.