01 April,2024 03:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sameer Wankhede/ File Photo
The Bombay High Court granted temporary relief to IRS officer Sameer Wankhede in the Sushant Singh Rajput drug case. Until April 10, no coercive measures will be implemented against Wankhede in response to the Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB) notifications of anomalies in the investigation.
The NCB launched a preliminary investigation against Wankhede in connection with the drugs case that led to Rajput's death, as well as another involving the arrest of a Nigerian national for drug possession. These inquiries arose from anonymous accusations of irregularities in the investigations, reported PTI.
According to the report, following Rajput's death in June 2020, the NCB initiated an investigation into alleged drug use in the film industry, leading to the filing of a case against Rajput's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, and others for alleged drug possession, consumption, and funding.
Between November 2023 and March 2024, Wankhede got eight notices from the NCB regarding Sushant Singh Rajput drug case and he challenged them before HC, alleging victimisation and retribution, the report added.
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The HC ordered the NCB to respond to Wankhede's request by April 10 and prohibited coercive action against him till then.
Wankhede's attorney Rajiv Chavan contended that Sanjay Singh, who leads the preliminary probe, cannot conduct the investigation impartially because Wankhede previously sought consent from Singh and other superiors while handling the cases.
The news agency report quoted Chavan saying, "While probing these cases, including the one related to Sushant Singh Rajput, Wankhede, who was at the time the agency's western region zonal director, used to take approvals from Singh, who was his superior officer. Hence, now Singh cannot head this inquiry. Whatever action Wankhede took in both the cases was after approval from Singh and other superior officers."
The NCB replied that Wankhede cannot choose the investigating officer and that it has the authority to conduct investigations based on anonymous allegations, the PTI report added.
Wankhede's petition also called into question the reliability of the accusations, particularly one filed by actor Sapna Pabbi, who is wanted in connection with Rajput's killing, the PTI report.
The report quoted the plea as saying, "To rely upon the allegations made by a wanted accused is nothing short of outrageous and a desperate attempt by the NCB to legitimise an anonymous complaint manufactured solely for the purpose of injuring the petitioner (Wankhde) in mind, body and repute."
Wankhede, who is facing extortion and bribery accusations in connection with star Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan's narcotics case, as well as a money laundering case brought by the Enforcement Directorate, had previously got interim protection from the HC against coercive action in both cases.
The 2008-batch IRS officer of the Customs and Indirect Taxes cadre was booked by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in May last year and later on ED lodged a money laundering case against him, reported PTI.
