HC asks NCB to submit details of preliminary inquiry initiated against Wankhede

The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Narcotics Control Bureau NCB to submit the material collected by it in the preliminary inquiry initiated against its former Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede over alleged irregularities found in two cases probed by himA division bench of Justices Revati MohiteDere and Manjusha Deshpande also sought to know from the agency what the complaints were against Wankhede and who were the complainants on the basis of which the inquiry was initiatedWankhede a 2008batch Indian Revenue Service IRS officer had filed a petition in the high court challenging the notices issued to him on the NCBs preliminary inquiry over alleged irregularities in a drugs case related to actor Sushant Singh Rajputs deathWankhede on Thursday submitted a rejoinder affidavit to the court through his counsel Rajiv Chavan claiming that he has been facing multiple cases after he arrested actor Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khan in the drugsoncruise caseHe also alleged that former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik also held a grudge against him as he had arrested Maliks soninlaw Sameer Khan in a drugs caseOn Thursday the bench after perusing the plea copy noted that Wankhede had approached the Central Administrative Tribunal CAT too against the notices issued to him by the NCBThe court queried if there was overlapping of reliefs sought by WankhedeWe cannot have simultaneous proceedings When the notices are subjudice before the CAT how can you come to the Bombay High Court the court saidChavan claimed that the plea in CAT pertained to notices issued in another inquiry initiated by the NCBThe court asked for a chart containing all proceedings filed by Wankhede in all forums for clarityThe bench will hear the matter further on April 23The NCB initiated the preliminary inquiry against Wankhede in connection with the drugs case pertaining to Rajputs death and another case of arrest of a Nigerian national for drugs possession probed by Wankhede after it received complaints of irregularities during the investigation into themAfter Rajput allegedly committed suicide at his residence in Mumbai in June 2020 the NCB initiated a probe of alleged drug use in the film industryThe agency later filed a case of alleged possession consumption and financing of drugs against Rajputs girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty her brother Showik and 33 othersFrom November 2023 to March 2024 the NCB issued eight notices to Wankhede directing him to appear before the agencys Deputy Director General Sanjay Singh who is heading the preliminary inquiryWankhede in his petition claimed he was being targeted and the inquiry was an act of vengeanceWankhede a 2008batch IRS officer of the Customs and Indirect Taxes cadre was also booked by the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI in May last year on the charges of extortion and bribery for allegedly seeking Rs 25 crore to not frame actor Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khan in a case of drug bust on a cruise shipThe Enforcement Directorate ED also later lodged a money laundering case against himWankhede had moved the high court against both the cases and was granted interim protection from any coercive actionThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever