Bombay HC Extends Sameer Wankhede's Relief From Arrest Till March 27

The Bombay High Court on Friday extended the relief from arrest given to former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede till March 27 in connection with a money laundering case.

The court has adjourned the matter till March 27. The matter was adjourned after the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) sought time to file a short reply on Sameer Wankhede's petition challenging ED's Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against him.

ECIR is a formal entry of a complaint lodged by the ED. Wankhede has challenged the ECIR in the Bombay HC and has sought to quash the case against him.

Further, the Bombay HC has listed a hearing of the case with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Wankhede on the same date.

The court was told that the Solicitor General would appear himself in both matters on that date.

Earlier on February 10, the Enforcement Directorate initiated the money laundering case against Wankhede, acknowledging a CBI FIR that alleges a Rs 25 crore bribe demand by him from actor Shah Rukh Khan's family to spare his son in the drugs on cruise case.

Wankhede had expressed surprise that the ED's ECIR is based on a CBI FIR, which is under question before the Bombay HC.

Last year, the CBI booked Wankhede for allegedly demanding Rs 25 crore as a bribe for not framing actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan in the drugs-on-cruise case. The agency said that the deal was closed for Rs 18 crore, adding that Wankhede's assets were not proportionate to his known sources of income. The FIR copy said he was not able to justify expenses made during his foreign visit. 

(ANI)