A bench comprising Justices P D Naik and N R Borkar accepted Sameer Wankhede’s assurance that he won’t be arrested until March 1 in the money laundering case. The court directed the probe agency to present a copy of the ECIR (complaint) on that day.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated the money laundering case against Wankhede based on a CBI FIR regarding an alleged ₹25-crore bribe demand in a drugs case involving Shah Rukh Khan’s family. Wankhede, seeking to quash the ED’s case, filed a petition in the high court this month, seeking interim protection and a stay on the probe.
The ED had earlier assured no arrest until February 20, and on Tuesday, ED’s advocate Sandesh Patil informed the court that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta would handle the case. Patil stated that the previous assurance of no arrest or coercive action would extend until the plea’s hearing on March 1, a statement accepted by the bench.
The court also deferred another petition by Wankhede against the CBI’s extortion and bribery case until March 27.
In his plea against the money laundering case, Wankhede, a 2008-batch IRS officer, alleged malice and vendetta. He contended that the ECIR, registered last year, now issues summonses to certain NCB officers after he filed a complaint against NCB’s deputy director, Gyaneshwar Singh, seeking action under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The legal battle intertwines with bribery, extortion, and malice allegations, creating a complex narrative around Wankhede’s actions. As the court proceedings unfold, the case reflects the intersection of law, politics, and individual actions within the criminal justice system.
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