Money Laundering: ED Files Case Against Sameer Wankhede For Alleged Bribery During Aryan Khan's Drug Case

The Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case against former Mumbai NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede, following the registration of a CBI FIR.

The case stems from an alleged Rs 25-crore bribe demand made by Wankhede from Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's family to spare his son in a drug case, according to official sources on Saturday.

The case has been filed underthe Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Additionally, former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials have been summoned for investigation.

Wankhede, an IRS officer of the Customs and Indirect Taxes cadre from the 2008 batch, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking protection against any coercive action by the ED.

The CBI had previously booked him in May last year on charges of seeking Rs 25-crore bribe for not framing Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan in the drugs-on-cruise case.

Aryan Khan was apprehended in connection with the alleged drug bust on the Cordelia cruise ship on October 2, 2021.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) lodged a case against Wankhede and others for alleged criminal conspiracy (120-B IPC), threat of extortion (388 IPC) and bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act based on a complaint from the NCB.

A year later, the NCB filed a charge sheet in the drugs-on-cruise case against 14 accused but absolved Aryan Khan of any involvement.

The case took a surprising turn when an 'independent witness' claimed in 2021 that Wankhede and others, including a witness named Gosavi, demanded Rs 25 crore to secure Aryan Khan's release.

Subsequently, the NCB conducted an internal vigilance probe, sharing its findings with the CBI, which led to the registration of a case against Wankhede.