Sameer Wankhede accused of demanding Rs 25 crore bribe from Shah Rukh Khan, ED launches money laundering probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case against Sameer Wankhede, the former zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Wankhede is embroiled in controversy over allegations of demanding a hefty bribe of Rs 25 crore from Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan. The accusation states that the bribe was solicited to prevent Khan's son, Aryan Khan, from being implicated in a drug case that emerged in October 2021.

The case against Wankhede stems from an incident involving a raid on the Cordelia cruise ship in Mumbai, which led to the arrest of Aryan Khan on October 3, 2021. However, subsequent investigations by an NCB special investigation team (SIT) absolved Aryan Khan of involvement in any larger drug-dealing racket, contradicting Wankhede's initial allegations.

The internal probe also highlighted procedural lapses by Wankhede's team, including improper documentation and recording of statements.

Further complicating matters for Wankhede, the NCB has criticized his conduct, particularly his secretive chats with Shah Rukh Khan, which he cannot use as evidence of his integrity. These communications are currently under scrutiny by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as part of its ongoing investigation into Wankhede's actions.

Wankhede, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, has dismissed the charges against him as a result of a vendetta by certain NCB officers. Despite this, the CBI had already questioned him and other accused individuals in the case, where it was revealed that the initial bribe demand was later reduced to Rs 18 crore.

Meanwhile, Wankhede has sought judicial relief, moving the high court to ensure that no coercive action is taken against him. The high court has granted him interim protection in the CBI case, but he now faces the additional challenge of responding to the ED's allegations of money laundering and amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income.

In response to these developments, Wankhede has taken his fight to the Bombay High Court, challenging the ED's money laundering case. He claims that the case is a vendetta against him, a "counter blast" to a complaint he filed against a senior official of the anti-drug agency. His petition before the High Court seeks to quash the ED case and requests protection from coercive action, citing the sudden action of the ED on the CBI FIR as smacking of vendetta and malice.

Wankhede's legal team, led by counsel Aabad Ponda, planned to argue his case on January 10. Meanwhile, the High Court has extended Wankhede's interim protection, providing him temporary relief from immediate arrest. 

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