CBI seeks recall of interim protection order in Sameer Wankhede case

The Central Bureau of Investigation CBI has sought the Bombay High Court to recall its interim protection order from arrest to Narcotics Control Bureau NCBs former Mumbai zonal director Sameer WankhedeThe CBI stated it has a prima facie case against Sameer Wankhede on charges of extortion and bribery in connection with the arrest of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan following the alleged seizure of drugs from a cruise shipLast month the CBI filed an FIR against Wankhede and four others for allegedly demanding Rs 25 crore bribe in return for not framing Aryan in the drugs caseSameer Wankhede had moved the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the FIR and interim protection from any coercive actionA vacation bench of the Bombay HC had granted interim relief to Sameer Wankhede in May and directed him to cooperate with the CBI investigationOn June 2 the CBI filed its affidavit in response to Sammer Wankhedes petitionThe CBI sought that the interim protection order be recalled and the plea is dismissedThe CBI has a prima facie case and grant of any interim relief would adversely affect the ongoing investigation Hence it is respectfully prayed that the interim relief granted to the petitioner Wankhede from arrest may please be recalled the agency saidIn its affidavit CBI said it registered the FIR against Sameer Wankhede based on a written complaint issued to it by the NCB on May 11 2023The written complaint received by the CBI disclosed the commission of cognisable offences hence a regular case was registered against Sameer Wankhede the affidavit saidThe allegations mentioned in the FIR are very serious and sensitive in nature pertaining to acts of corruption criminal conspiracy and extortion by threat by the accused persons named in the FIR who were the then public servants of NCB it addedThe CBI said the investigation in the case was at an initial stageThe CBI also stated that the probe was being conducted in an unbiased and professional mannerThe agency said before the case was quashed it was pertinent for the court to consider the gravity and seriousness of the offence alleged against WankhedeThe CBI said FIRs can be quashed only in the rarest of rare cases where there is no cognisable offence made out against the accusedThe high court is likely to hear Sameer Wankhedes plea on ThursdayAryan Khan and several others were arrested in October 2021 for the alleged possession consumption and trafficking of drugs Later Aryan Khan was granted bail by the high court after spending three weeks in jailThe NCB subsequently filed its chargesheet but did not name Aryan as an accused in the case citing lack of evidenceThe antidrugs agency had then set up a special inquiry team to carry out an inquiry into the case and against its own officerswith inputs from PTI