New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has slapped a money laundering case against Sameer Wankhede, a former IRS officer who was accused of demanding a Rs 25 crore bribe from actor Shah Rukh Khan for not framing his son in a drug case in October 2021, per news reports published on February 10.

Wankhede, in turn, has approached the Bombay high court to seek protection from coercive action until the case is heard, as per Live Law.

The case is likely to be heard on February 15.

ED files money laundering case

The ED case is based on a 2023 first information report (FIR) by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which alleged that Wankhede, a former zonal director of Narcotics Control Bureau, was among the four people who have been accused of demanding a Rs 25 crore bribe from Shah Rukh Khan for not framing his son, Aryan Khan, in a October 2021 drug case. Wankhede had led the raids aboard a docked cruise ship, Cordelia.

As per news reports, Wankhede may be soon summoned for questioning in the new ED case. He was already questioned for the CBI case earlier. He then dismissed the charges against him, saying that the CBI case was the result of “vendetta” by NCB officers. Wankhede has filed complaints against some of them. The Bombay high court had granted Wankhede interim protection from arrest when he petitioned the court to quash the CBI FIR.

Wankhede approaches HC for interim protection

With the new ED case slapped on him, Wankhede has again approached the Bombay high court seeking protection from coercive action until the ED case is heard, as per Live Law.

As earlier mentioned, the case is likely to be heard on February 15. This is also the day when the period of Wankhede’s interim protection in the CBI case ends.

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