Sameer Wankhede’s Shah Rukh Khan chats don’t prove his integrity: NCB

New Delhi: Sameer Wankhede, former zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau, cannot use his chats with actor Shah Rukh Khan as evidence of his integrity since he kept these chats “secret”, the anti-drugs agency said in an affidavit filed in the Bombay high court.

Wankhede had no reason to continue such chats with Khan without informing his superiors, the federal agency said, adding that it appears “many” calls were also made by the now suspended officer to the actor.

The Indian Revenue Service officer, facing a Central Bureau of Investigation probe for allegedly demanding ₹25 crore from Khan for not framing the latter’s son Aryan in a drugs case, shared his chats with the actor to counter the allegations of extortion in an affidavit filed in the Bombay high court last month. Wankhede claimed the actor praised his integrity in the chats.

Rebutting his claims, NCB filed a 92-page affidavit on June 17 details of which have been exclusively accessed by HT.

“With respect to the chats between Wankhede and father of an accused (Shah Rukh Khan), it is submitted that the same cannot be said to any evidence regarding Wankhede’s integrity when the same have been kept in secret by him,” the bureau said. “Wankhede did not disclose the same (chats) to the SET (special enquiry team) or otherwise.”

“Moreover, it is pertinent to note that there was no reason for Wankhede to have continued such chats with Shah Rukh Khan without informing his superior officers,” the NCB said. The chats will be evaluated by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the extortion case, NCB said .

Further citing the chats, NCB said it appears Wankhede has “on many occasions made calls to Shah Rukh Khan”. “It cannot be said what transpired in those calls,” it added.

The federal agency has also disclosed in its affidavit that Wankhede, despite moving out of NCB, was in “regular touch” with a deputy legal advisor as he wanted to “manipulate the outcome” of the Aryan Khan probe and “extract sensitive information” regarding the case.

Wankhede alleged in his affidavit that the NCB’s special investigation team, which reinvestigated the October 2-3, 2021, raid at the Cordelia vessel cruise, tried to protect Aryan Khan. He had also shared details of his call with the legal advisor to allege the draft complaint (referring to the charge sheet) prepared by him was changed to benefit Aryan Khan.

Dismissing the allegation, NCB has attached the transcripts of a June 2, 2022, call of Wankhede with the legal advisor. This call took place five months after Wankhede was shifted to his parent cadre, the Directorate of Revenue and Intelligence, on January 3, 2022.

“Theek hai sir, theek hai, mere ko sir ye thoda pata laga ke bata dena please (Okay sir, please find out some details and let me know),” Wankhede told the advisor, according to the transcript of the call, part of the affidavit.

“...excerpt of the transcripts of the conversation dated June 2, 2022 between Wankhede and the DLA clearly reflects that Wankhede, who was not part of the investigation or prosecution in the instant case was in regular touch with the DLA (NCB) with the sole intention to manipulate the outcome of the investigation and to extract the sensitive information of the case with ulterior motive,” NCB said in the affidavit.

NCB has further said although the legal advisor’s opinion is not binding, “after considering the evidence and material facts of the case”, he opined that “the case is judicially weak”, pointing out many discrepancies in the recovery of documents.

The extortion attempt is linked to the arrest of Aryan Khan during an NCB raid on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast on October 3, 2021. He was eventually granted bail after 25 days.

On May 27 last year, the SIT set up to probe the case cleared Aryan Khan saying he was not part of any larger drug-dealing racket as alleged by Wankhede. In October last year, NCB’s vigilance bureau reviewed the probe into the case, and said that Aryan Khan was “deliberately targeted”.

It added that the names of Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant were included in the case at the last moment in the “information note” of the agency. Besides, procedures such as documentation of seizure of phones, and the recording of statements were not done properly by Wankhede’s team, the investigation found.

SIT had filed a charge sheet against 14 people in the raid on the Cordelia cruise ship on May 27, 2022, while clearing six accused, including Aryan Khan.

The CBI registered a corruption case against Wankhede, former superintendent of police of the NCB, Vishwa Vijay Singh, intelligence officer Ashish Ranjan and two private persons, Kiran Gosavi and Sanville D’Souza, on May 11.