Sameer Wankhede denies bribe allegations in Aryan Khan drugs case at Bombay High Court

Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede on Monday categorically denied allegations that he sought or accepted a bribe from Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan in connection with the drugs case involving the actor’s son, Aryan Khan. Wankhede made the statement during proceedings at the Bombay High Court, where he is seeking to quash a First Information Report (FIR) filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in May 2023.

Wankhede’s senior counsel, Aabad Ponda, told a bench headed by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Suman Shyam that the IRS officer had never demanded or received any bribe from Shah Rukh Khan to influence the outcome of the drugs investigation. Ponda argued that the CBI has produced no evidence to substantiate the bribery allegations in the FIR.

The controversy dates back to October 2021, when Aryan Khan was arrested during an NCB raid on the cruise ship Cordelia on suspicion of drug-related offences. After several weeks in custody, Aryan Khan was granted bail, and the NCB later gave him a clean chit, citing insufficient evidence. In May 2023, the CBI registered an FIR against Wankhede and four others, alleging that they had sought a ₹25 crore bribe from Shah Rukh Khan to avoid implicating his son in the case. The FIR included charges of criminal conspiracy, extortion, and bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act, based on claims from an independent witness that officials had attempted to extort the Khan family.

The matter also drew scrutiny from the Enforcement Directorate, which registered a money-laundering case linked to the same allegations. During Monday’s hearing, Wankhede’s legal team maintained that the NCB’s operation on the cruise ship was conducted lawfully based on credible intelligence and standard procedures, and that there was no direct evidence of any bribe demand or receipt. The defence urged the court to quash the FIR.

The High Court is scheduled to continue hearing the matter on Tuesday. The Aryan Khan drugs case, one of the most widely reported legal controversies in recent years, has attracted sustained public and media attention. The ongoing proceedings against Wankhede have reignited debate over law enforcement conduct and procedural integrity in high-profile investigations.