India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede, summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning in the Aryan Khan drug bust case, has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court claiming that he had informed his seniors about the arrest of Shah Rukh Khan’s son.
Wankhede’s petition, accessed by CNN-News18, was submitted on Wednesday in the Delhi High Court, seeking to file a cross FIR against a senior NCB officer.
The court has granted interim protection to Wankhede and directed him to approach the Bombay High Court since the case falls under its jurisdiction. This protection is valid until May 22.
In his petition, Wankhede has provided WhatsApp chats with his seniors as evidence, allegedly showing their appreciation and their awareness of Aryan Khan’s arrest.
One of the chats reportedly indicates that Wankhede’s immediate superior instructed him to ensure that the senior public prosecutor sought Aryan’s remand, stating that these instructions came from the DG office.
Sameer Wankhede Gets CBI Summons In Aryan Khan Case
Wankhede claims that he received additional support for the investigation and was provided with two teams from Indore and Ahmedabad.
“We are planning to approach the court soon. The process is underway, but it is unlikely to happen today,” sources was quoted as saying by News18.
Due to the interim protection, Wankhede did not appear before the CBI as of now.
A reliable source from the CBI mentioned on Wednesday night that the investigating team had traveled from Delhi to Mumbai to gather evidence in the case.
Allegations have been made that Wankhede, along with his officers VV Singh and Ashish Ranjan, as well as two civilians acting as witnesses in the case, attempted to extort Rs 25 crore from Aryan Khan’s family. The deal was reportedly settled at Rs 18 crores, and the witnesses accepted a bribe of Rs 50 lakhs, but returned a portion of the amount.
Story first published: Thursday, May 18, 2023, 19:55 [IST]
