The long-running cruise drugs case has resurfaced in court, with Sameer Wankhede denying allegations that he demanded or accepted a bribe in connection with the high-profile case involving Shah Rukh Khan’s son.
Appearing before the Bombay High Court, Wankhede maintained that he had no role in the alleged Rs 25 crore bribery demand linked to the case and asserted that the accusation had been wrongly attributed to him. His counsel argued that even the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had not directly connected him to any such payment.
However, the bench, led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Suman Shyam, emphasised that the absence of a chargesheet does not weaken the case on its own. The judges stated that the key issue is whether sufficient material exists to justify the FIR and asked the defence to explain why the case should be quashed.
Wankhede had approached the court in 2023 seeking to quash the CBI’s FIR against him. Despite earlier assurances by the agency that the investigation would be completed within a fixed timeframe, no chargesheet has been filed so far, and the probe continues.
The allegations stem from the October 2021 Cordelia cruise case, during which Wankhede was serving with the Narcotics Control Bureau. The case drew widespread attention due to the arrest of Aryan Khan, who was later granted relief after no drugs were found in his possession, though he was linked to others allegedly carrying contraband.
According to the FIR, a bribe of Rs 25 crore was allegedly demanded from Shah Rukh Khan to prevent his son from being implicated in the case. In response, Wankhede’s defence argued that the bribery claims are distinct from other allegations against him, including those related to disproportionate assets, and that there is no direct evidence tying him to the alleged demand or acceptance of money.
The court has scheduled further hearings as it examines whether the FIR should stand, while the prolonged investigation and absence of a chargesheet continue to raise questions about the pace and direction of the probe.
