According to a report filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Sameer Wankhede, the former anti-drugs official who arrested Aryan Khan, the son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, in a drugs case, allegedly made multiple trips abroad with his family and owned vast properties disproportionate to his income. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating Wankhede, has based its First Information Report (FIR) on this NCB report. The CBI has accused Wankhede and a few others of demanding a bribe of ₹25 crores from Shah Rukh Khan’s family and threatening to frame Aryan Khan in the drug bust if the bribe was not paid.
The NCB’s vigilance department report indicates that the names of Aryan Khan and his friend Arbaaz Merchant were added to the case at the last moment, while the names of other suspects were dropped. The report also highlights several lapses in the custody of Aryan Khan, suggesting intentional compromises made by Wankhede. It alleges that Wankhede’s actions provided an opportunity for Kiran Gosavi, an independent witness in the Mumbai cruise raid, to engage in misconduct and violate Central Civil Services laws.
Furthermore, the report mentions issues with the CCTV footage collected from the NCB office, suggesting corruption in the evidence. The report states that the DVR and Hard Copy of the night when Aryan Khan was brought to the NCB office, as submitted by the Mumbai team of the NCB, were different.
The NCB report also raises questions about Wankhede’s financial activities. It reveals that between 2017 and 2021, Wankhede made six trips abroad with his family to countries including the UK, Ireland, Portugal, South Africa, and the Maldives, totaling 55 days. However, Wankhede claims to have spent only ₹8.75 lakh, which is a significantly low amount considering the costs associated with air travel.
The report further highlights Wankhede’s possession of expensive watches and properties that seem disproportionate to his known sources of income. It mentions the purchase of a Rolex watch at a price far below the market value, as well as Wankhede’s ownership of four flats in Mumbai and 41,688 acres of land in Washim.
In his communications with the agency, Wankhede claimed to have spent ₹82.8 lahks on the purchase of a fifth flat in Goregaon, valued at ₹2.45 crore. Additionally, the report mentions a flat purchased by Wankhede and his wife before their marriage, valued at ₹1.25 crore, the source of which remains unknown.
The income tax returns of Wankhede and his wife reportedly show an annual income of ₹45,61,460, which raises questions about how they funded their foreign trips and acquired other assets. The investigation into Wankhede’s alleged misconduct and financial irregularities is ongoing, and the findings of the NCB report will likely play a significant role in determining the course of the investigation.
