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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated legal action against Sameer Wankhede, the former Mumbai zone director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated legal action against Sameer Wankhede, the former Mumbai zone director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Wankhede gained prominence following the arrest of Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, in connection with the Cordelia Cruise drug case.
A senior official from the ED, speaking to The New Indian, confirmed that the PMLA case was filed based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). “We initiated this action approximately six months ago. Currently, Wankhede has not been summoned for questioning,” stated the official.
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A Special Enquiry Team (SET) led by DDG NCB Gyaneshwar Singh submitted a report implicating Wankhede. The report alleges that Wankhede attempted to extort Rs 25 crore from Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s family to secure the release of his son, Aryan Khan, in the Cordelia Cruise Drugs Case.
The SET report further reveals negligence of proper protocols by Wankhede and his subordinates during the drug bust operation. It was found that the names of Aryan Khan and his friend Arbaaz Merchant were added at the last minute, while some other suspects’ names were omitted from the original information note. Moreover, the suspects’ phones were reportedly not seized or documented correctly, raising concerns about the integrity of the evidence chain.
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Based on these findings, the CBI filed an FIR against Wankhede and two of his former subordinates from the NCB Mumbai zone. Subsequently, the ED also initiated a PMLA case in connection with the matter.
Despite attempts to reach him, Wankhede, currently serving in the Income Tax department in Chennai, was unavailable for comment.
