New Delhi: A report by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)'s vigilance department has alleged that Sameer Wankhede, one of the bureau's investigating officers in the Aryan Khan case, had various expenses that were disproportionate to his income, the Indian Express reported.

This vigilance report is part of the evidence that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has used to file an FIR against Wankhede. The FIR says that he extorted Khan's family (Aryan Khan is Shah Rukh Khan's son) of Rs 25 crore in 2021, threatening to implicate Aryan in a drugs case, an NDTV report said.

According to NDTV, the NCB's vigilance team found that Wankhede stayed for 55 days in five countries – including Portugal and the Maldives – between 2017 and 2021. Wankhede says he spent Rs 8.75 lakh to cover his trips' expenses.

But the team says this amount covers only the air fare for these trips, and just barely at that.

It also alleges that Wankhede furnished dubious invoices for a Rs 22 lakh Rolex watch and spent 1.25 crore on a flat though the money's origin was unknown, the Express and NDTV's reports say.

Wankhede has said that the allegations against him are “false and misleading”.

“I have relatives staying in Europe, and I did not stay at five-star hotels during these trips… so, there were no major expenses,” he was quoted saying by the Express, and added that "[his] wife, who has only purchased one watch in her entire life, gifted [him] that watch, for which she paid money in installments.”

Regarding his real estate purchases, Wankhede told the Free Press Journal that the NCB "fabricated" his true worth.

“All the properties and wealth [are] ancestral and before my joining the civil services duly declared and taxes paid. I do my service for passion not for salary,” he said.

The Aryan Khan case refers to an incident in October 2021 when Aryan Khan and 19 others were arrested from a cruise ship for having drugs. Wankhede was Mumbai zonal director of the NCB and led the initial investigation.

However, one month later Wankhede was criticised for mishandling the investigation, and in May 2022 the Union government ordered action against him for his "shoddy work".

Wankhede is protected from arrest until May 22. The Hindu reported on May 19 that he chose not to appear in front of the CBI for questioning the day before.

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