Sameer Wankhede leaves CBI office in Mumbai after 5 hrs of questioning

MUMBAI: Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede left the CBI Office after five hours of questioning on Saturday.

NCB sources on Friday said that Wankhede violated the conduct rules by producing conversations he had with actor Shah Rukh Khan over Aryan Khan's arrest in the drugs-on-cruise case.

"Sameer Wankhade giving chats in the court is against the conduct rules of NCB. How an investigating officer can have such chats with the family of the accused?" sources in the NCB said.

"Sameer Wankhade did not inform his superiors about these chats then or placed them on record. Neither he told the vigilance team who were investigating his misconduct about these chats," sources added.

They further claimed that Wankhade did not provide the phone through which he was chatting with Shahrukh Khan and along with this he also tried to scare a senior official of NCB when he took over the case.

CBI booked Wankhede for allegedly demanding Rs 25 crore as a bribe for not framing Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan in the drugs-on-cruise case.

The agency said that the deal was closed for Rs 18 crore adding that assets to Wankhade were not proportionate to his known sources of income.

Sameer Wankhede on Friday approached the Bombay High Court against the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) action against him in the alleged bribery case in the drugs-on-cruise case involving actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan.

The Bombay High Court will hear the matter on May 22.

Notably, the High Court granted protection from arrest to Wankhede till May 22.
Speaking to the reporters after the hearing, the former NCB officer said, "Vande Mataram. I have full faith in the judiciary and I will cooperate with the investigation."

Wankhede also alleged that some "changes" have been made in the chargesheet that was filed by NCB in the Aryan Khan case.

Wankhede claimed in his petition, that the action in the Aryan Khan case is being taken out of "revenge". He also assured of complete support to CBI.

The former NCB zonal director also attached his chats with actor Shah Rukh Khan in the petition.

Wankhede's lawyer also alleged that Aryan Khan and his father Shah Rukh Khan already informed the court that there is no case of extortion of Rs 25 crore.

The lawyer said that Wankhede was not demanding an interim bail, but seeking protection from arrest till next week.

Earlier on Wednesday, Delhi High Court granted protection from arrest (No coercive action) till May 22 to Sameer Wankhede with the liberty to approach the Bombay High Court for further relief.

Wankhede had moved Delhi High Court and sought cross FIR claiming that the allegations by NCB against him are "false and misleading".

Other corruption charges against Sameer Wankhede and other NCB Officials were also in the process.

Last year, Wankhede raided Cordelia Cruise and arrested actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan in an alleged drug case.