The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently moved the Bombay High Court to recall its earlier order granting interim protection from arrest to the Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) former Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede in a case of extortion and bribery in connection with the arrest of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan in a drug case.
Last month, the CBI had filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Mr. Wankhede for allegedly demanding ₹25 crore bribe from Mr. Khan in return for not arresting his son in the drug racket case of October 2021. Mr. Wankhede had moved the vacation Bench of the High Court seeking to quash the FIR and interim protection from any coercive action. A Bench had directed him to appear before the CBI and granted interim protection from arrest to Mr. Wankhede.
The Central agency on June 2, however, filed an affidavit opposing Mr. Wankhede’s petition and sought that his interim relief be recalled. “The CBI has a prima facie case and grant of any interim relief would adversely affect the ongoing investigation. Hence, it is respectfully prayed that the interim relief granted to the petitioner (Wankhede) from arrest may please be recalled. The written complaint received by the CBI disclosed commission of cognisable offences, hence a regular case was registered against Sameer Wankhede,” the affidavit said.
“The allegations mentioned in the FIR are very serious and sensitive in nature pertaining to acts of corruption, criminal conspiracy and extortion by threat by the accused persons named in the FIR, who were the then public servants of NCB,” the CBI maintained. The probe was being conducted in an “unbiased and professional manner” and the FIR could be quashed only in the rarest of rare cases where there is no cognisable offence made out against the accused, the agency contended.
