Former Mumbai zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Sameer Wankhede claimed to the Bombay high court on Thursday that the Narcotics Control Bureau’s Special Enquiry Team (SET) had suppressed crucial evidence against Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan in a drugs-on-cruise case with the intent of clearing him.
The HC on Thursday extended Wankhede’s temporary protection from arrest in the CBI case of extortion and bribery against him until June 23. In his rejoinder affidavit, Wankhede claimed the SET had “twisted facts and labelled false allegations to jeopardise the career and character of honest officials.”
The statement further said that by withholding crucial facts and evidence in defiance of the law, the SET intended to exonerate Aryan Khan.
In his petition to have the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) case against him dismissed on charges of extortion and bribery, Wankhede filed a response affidavit.
According to the CBI’s evidence, Wankhede and four other suspects demanded a Rs 25 crore bribe from actor Shah Rukh Khan in exchange for the actor’s son Aryan not being implicated in the alleged cocaine seizure from a cruise ship.
A written complaint sent to Wankhede and others by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) served as the foundation for the central agency’s filing of the FIR last month.
On Thursday, Wankhede’s appeal was scheduled for hearing on June 23 by a division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and S G Dige.
The HC also prolonged until then the prior court decision allowing Wankhede temporary protection from arrest in the case.
In the Cordelia cruise drugs seizure case, in which Aryan Khan was detained in October 2021, the NCB had formed the SET to investigate the alleged irregularities committed by Wankhede.
The SET’s goal, according to Wankhede, was to cast doubt on the Cordelia cruise case in order to further their ultimate goal of clearing Aryan Khan.
The rebuttal further claimed that the SET report was biassed and written solely to “wreak vengeance” on Wankhede because of a personal grudge Gyaneshwar Singh, the deputy director general of NCB, held towards him.
Wankhede asserted that he reported Singh for perpetrating “serious caste-based atrocities” in August 2022.
In his affidavit, Wankhede defended the independent witness’s selfie with Aryan Khan by claiming that because of Aryan’s notoriety, lots of people wanted to take pictures with him.
According to the affidavit, witness K P Gosavi took the selfie with Aryan Khan without the NCB’s permission.
Wankhede’s attorney Aabad Ponda informed the bench on Thursday that the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer had complied with a previous court order by making seven separate appearances before the CBI for questioning.
The case’s investigation, according to CBI attorney Kuldeep Patil, was at a critical point.
On June 23, the bench said that it will hear Wankhede’s appeal.
The high court declared that the temporary remedy had been extended till the next date.
Last month, Wankhede filed a petition with the HC asking for the case to be dismissed and for temporary protection from any coercive action taken against him.
Then, a vacation bench of the HC had ordered Wankhede to comply with the investigation and gave him temporary protection from detention until June 8.
In its affidavit submitted last week, the CBI requested that the protection be revoked because it claimed to have a solid case against Wankhede.
According to the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with bribery, IRS official Wankhede and the other defendants in the case have been arrested on allegations of criminal conspiracy and extortion threats.
In October 2021, Aryan Khan and a number of other people were detained on suspicion of narcotics possession, use, and trafficking.
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