2 months ago
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Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai zonal manager Sameer Wankhede told the Bombay High Court connected Monday (March 23, 2026) that helium ne'er demanded oregon took a bribe from histrion Shah Rukh Khan to spare his lad Aryan Khan pursuing the latter's apprehension successful a cruise drugs case.
Mr. Wankhede's counsel, Aabad Ponda, was arguing the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer’s petition seeking to quash the FIR registered against him successful May 2023 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) connected charges of corruption and bribery.
Mr. Ponda told a Bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Suman Shyam that Mr. Wankhede ne'er demanded oregon took a bribe from Shah Rukh Khan.
As per the CBI FIR, Mr. Wankhede and the different accused successful the lawsuit allegedly demanded ₹25 crore from the histrion to springiness a cleanable chit to his lad successful the drugs case.
No evidence: counsel
However, Mr. Ponda told the tribunal that the CBI has nary grounds to found that Wankhede demanded oregon received immoderate bribe.
The NCB had received a tip-off astir alleged drugs connected the cruise vessel Cordelia. A hunt was conducted successful accordance with the instrumentality and a fewer persons, including Aryan Khan, were arrested, the counsel added.
The tribunal said it would proceed proceeding the plea further connected Tuesday (March 24).
The CBI had registered the lawsuit against Mr. Wankhede and others connected charges of transgression conspiracy (Indian Penal Code Section 120B), and menace of extortion (388 IPC), arsenic good arsenic bribery nether the Prevention of Corruption Act connected a ailment from the NCB.
Hyped-up case
Aryan Khan was arrested successful the alleged cause bust lawsuit connected the cruise vessel connected October 2, 2021.
Later, the NCB filed a chargesheet successful the lawsuit against 14 accused, but gave a cleanable chit to Aryan Khan.
The much-hyped lawsuit took a twist successful 2021 erstwhile an “independent witness” claimed that an NCB authoritative and different persons, including a witness, demanded ₹25 crore to fto disconnected Aryan Khan.
The NCB aboriginal conducted an interior vigilance probe against Mr. Wankhede and others and shared the contents with the CBI, starring to the registration of the lawsuit against him.
Based connected the CBI’s FIR, the Enforcement Directorate besides registered a lawsuit against the IRS officer, accusing him of wealth laundering.
