The Bombay high court extended interim protection granted to Sameer Wankhede, the former Narcotics Bureau officer. The May 19 order was extended by the vacation bench asking CBI not to take any coercive steps against him subject to him not publishing any material by WhatsApp chats or giving any press statements. This direction was made by the court after he published his alleged chats with actor Sharukh khan to counter his allegation of extortion against him in the CBI’s FIR. He was also asked to cooperate with the investigation.
Sameer Wankhede is a 2008 IRS officer. He led raids where the Cordelia cruise ship was docked in was docked on 2nd October 2021 as the former head of the NCB Zonal unit. The NCB have seized 13 gm of cocaine, 5 gm of mephedrone, 21 gm of marijuana, 22 pills of MDMA and Rs 1.33 lakh cash in the raid, and arrested 17 people which also includes Aryan Khan. The enquiry report about him stated that he misused his position Recently CBI have raided him who is accused of demanding 25 crore for not framing Aryan Khan and registered an FIR for corruption and violation of rules. Aryan Khan has spent 1 month in jail but was released as no evidence were found against him.Wankede approached the Bombay high court challenging the FIR filed against him.
Senior advocate Aabad Ponda appearing for Wankhede have the explanation that the chats were the part of the petition and he will not communicate with the media from now on. Kuldeep Patil, the special public prosecutor for CBI argued that the chats were from that time when Wankhede was the commanding officer and Sharukh khan was concerned about the life and liberty of his son. Patil objected the continuation of interim relief against the arrest. HE submitted that the sanction to prosecute him under section 17A was within 21 days and this sanction was not granted within 4 months. Ponda stated that the issue is under investigation since October 25 2021, and there was no sanction under section 17 A before the enquiry. Patil argued that there was no question under section 17A since the enquiry wasn’t under the Prevention of corruption act.
Written by – :KRISHNAPRIYA.P.D., SEM:3RD SEM OF BBA.LLB
