30 July,2026 05:58 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sameer Wankhede claimed that the enquiries were politically motivated and described them as an "act of vengeance". File Pic
The Bombay High Court has granted interim relief to former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede, directing that he should not be summoned for questioning in ongoing departmental enquiries until his petition is finally heard, reported the PTI.
A division bench comprising Justices Ajay Gadkari and Kamal Khata admitted Wankhede's petition on Thursday and ordered that the protection would remain in force until the case is decided.
Wankhede, a 2008-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, approached the High Court in 2024 challenging notices issued by the NCB regarding alleged irregularities in two drug-related investigations.
One of the enquiries relates to the agency's investigation following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020.
The NCB has maintained that the enquiries were initiated after receiving two anonymous complaints alleging procedural irregularities, the news agency reported.
In his petition, Wankhede claimed the enquiries were politically motivated and described them as an "act of vengeance".
He alleged that the action was influenced by former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, whom he accused of holding a grudge after the arrest of Malik's son-in-law, Sameer Khan, in a narcotics case, according to the PTI.
Following Rajput's death in June 2020, the NCB launched an investigation into alleged drug use in the Hindi film industry.
The agency later registered a case involving actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik Chakraborty, and several others over alleged possession, consumption and financing of narcotic substances.
Subsequently, complaints alleging irregularities in the investigation led the NCB to begin internal enquiries against Wankhede.
Between November 2023 and March 2024, the agency issued eight notices directing him to appear before Deputy Director General Sanjay Singh, who is leading the preliminary enquiry, as per the PTI.
Wankhede is also facing separate investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The CBI registered a case in May 2023, accusing him of alleged extortion and bribery linked to the 2021 Cordelia cruise drug case, in which actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan was arrested.
The agency alleged that Rs 25 crore was demanded to avoid implicating Aryan Khan. However, the NCB later excluded Aryan Khan from its charge sheet, giving him a clean chit.
The Enforcement Directorate subsequently registered a money laundering case based on the CBI investigation.
Wankhede has challenged both cases before the Bombay High Court and has already secured interim protection from coercive action.
(with PTI inputs)
