Highlights:
- Wankhede denies asking $3 million bribe from Shah Rukh Khan
- CBI filed a corruption FIR against him in May 2023
- Aryan Khan was arrested in the 2021 cruise drugs case, and later cleared
- Court told there is no evidence of bribery demand
- ED also filed a money laundering case based on the CBI FIR
Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede on Monday (23) told the Bombay High Court that he never demanded or accepted any bribe from actor Shah Rukh Khan to spare his son Aryan Khan in the 2021 cruise drugs case.
Wankhede made this statement through his lawyer, Aabad Ponda, while seeking to quash a First Information Report (FIR) filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in May 2023. The FIR accuses him of corruption, bribery, and criminal conspiracy.
Arguing before a bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Suman Shyam, Ponda said that there is no evidence to support the claims made by the CBI. He clearly told the court that Wankhede never demanded or received any money from Shah Rukh Khan.
According to the CBI’s FIR, Wankhede and other accused allegedly demanded Rs 25 crore (about $3 million) from the actor in exchange for giving a clean chit to Aryan Khan in the drugs case. However, Ponda rejected these claims, stating that the investigation lacks proof.
The case dates back to October 2, 2021, when the NCB conducted a raid on the Cordelia cruise ship after receiving a tip-off about possible drug use. During the operation, several individuals were detained, including Aryan Khan. He was later arrested as part of the investigation.
Ponda told the court that the search and arrests were carried out legally and followed proper procedures. He added that the NCB acted based on credible information at the time.
The high court heard initial arguments on Monday and said it would continue hearing the matter on Tuesday.
After Aryan Khan’s arrest, the case gained nationwide attention. However, in a later development, the NCB filed a charge sheet against 14 people but did not include Aryan Khan, effectively giving him a clean chit.
The case took a dramatic turn in 2021 when an independent witness alleged that an NCB official and others had demanded Rs 25 crore (around $3 million) to release Aryan Khan. This claim triggered further scrutiny and internal investigations within the NCB.
Following these allegations, the NCB conducted an internal vigilance inquiry into Wankhede and other officials. The findings of this probe were later shared with the CBI, which led to the registration of the FIR against him.
The CBI charged Wankhede and others under several sections of the law, including criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC Section 120-B), threat of extortion (Section 388), and bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Based on the CBI’s case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also filed a separate case against Wankhede, accusing him of money laundering.
Despite these allegations, Wankhede has denied all charges and is now seeking legal relief from the Bombay High Court. His legal team maintains that the case against him is baseless and unsupported by evidence.
