Sameer Wankhede granted interim relief in Aryan Khan bribery case till 8 June
2 min read 22 May 2023, 02:09 PM ISTLast Friday, the HC had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) not to take any coercive against the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer till May 22.
PremiumSameer Wankhede, a former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)'s zonal head, was granted interim relief by the Bombay High Court till 8 June regarding the Aryan Khan bribery case. Sameer Wankhede had been accused of allegedly seeking a bribe amounting to ₹25 crore from Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan for not implicating his son Aryan Khan in the Cordelia Cruise ‘drug bust’ case.
The Bombay High Court also questioned the ex-NCB officer, if he was responsible for leaking chats between him and Shah Rukh Khan to the media, as that would amount for violating code of conduct.
On 19 May, the Bombay High Court, had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) not to take any coercive against the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer till 22 May.
After Monday's hearing the High Court bench of justices Abhay Ahuja and M M Sathaye directed that Wankhede's interim protection from any coercive action be extended till 8 June. The bench was hearing hearing Sameer Wankhede's plea seeking quashing of the CBI's FIR against him.
The bench also directed Wankhede to give an undertaking that he will not talk to the media about the case, appear before the CBI as and when called, and not tamper with evidence.
Sameer Wankhede has also been asked to produce an undertaking that he will not speak to the media regarding the case, appear before the CBI as and when called, and not tamper with evidence.
This comes after alleged chats between Shah Rukh Khan and Sameer Wankhede, who was the chief investigating officer of the Aryan Khan drug case, were leaked to media and went viral on social media despite the case being sub-judice.
In the chats, the duo can be seen discussing the ongoing probe with the actor and assuring him to go easy on Aryan Khan.
The CBI recently filed an FIR against Wankhede for allegedly seeking ₹25 crore bribe for not framing the Bollywood star's son Aryan Khan in the drugs-on-cruise case.
The probe agency has booked Wankhede and four others for alleged criminal conspiracy and extortion threat, besides provisions pertaining to bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act, on a complaint by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
The agency has alleged that the NCB, Mumbai Zone, received information in October 2021 related to the consumption and possession of narcotics substances by various individuals on the private cruise ship and some of its officers conspired and obtained undue advantage in the form of bribes from the alleged accused. Aryan Khan was arrested by the NCB on October 3, 2021 after a raid on the Cordelia cruise ship. He was granted bail by the Bombay High Court after three weeks as the NCB failed to substantiate its charges against him.
