New Delhi/Mumbai (TIP)- The NCB’s inquiry team has alleged that its former zonal director Sameer Wankhede abused his position while probing the drugs-on-cruise case involving Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan. The NCB’s findings have been taken on record as part of the CBI’s FIR against Wankhede and three other NCB officials, who initially investigated the case.
The NCB has found several alleged service rule violations by Wankhede, including misreporting of foreign travel expenses and dealings in luxury watches. The inquiry team, in its report, has found irregularities against Indian Revenue Services officer Wankhede and his team on two counts — alleged irregularities in the conduct of the drugs-on-cruise raids and violations under the Central Civil Services (CCS) Rules.
Wankhede has, however, denied the allegations. He had approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and recently the Bombay High Court to quash the CBI FIR against him, saying the SET chief — NCB Deputy Director General Gyaneshwar Singh — was “acting as judge of his own cause and conduct” as he was his reporting boss during the investigation of the case.
Meanwhile, Wankhede, accused of demanding bribe from Shah Rukh Khan for not implicating his son, has claimed in his petition that the superstar praised the officer’s “integrity” and pleaded with him to be kind to Aryan.
As per Wankhede’s petition before the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the FIR registered against him by the CBI for bribery, Khan deplored the political involvement in the case. As per the transcript provided in the petition, in one of the messages, the actor said, “God bless you. I have to come personally whenever you say and give a hug to you. Let me please know whenever it’s convenient for you. Really, I have always had the highest regard for your uprightness and now it has increased manifolds. Big respect.” “Please show some kindness … I can only plead and beg you as a father. Please,” the superstar said in another chat, as per the petition.