The Delhi High Court on Monday reserved its verdict on a petition filed by the Centre challenging the quashing of disciplinary proceedings initiated against Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede in the Cordelia cruise drug seizure case. The proceedings against Wankhede had been quashed by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).
The Union Govt moved the Delhi High Court challenging the CAT’s January 19 order giving relief to Wankhede and seeking revival of the disciplinary proceedings against him.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Anil Kshetarpal and Justice Amit Mahajan heard the matter and reserved its verdict.
It is pertinent to mention here that the High Court had earlier directed the tribunal to decide the Wankhede’s case urgently in mid-January. Following it, the CAT on January 19 set aside the disciplinary charge framed by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) against Wankhede. The tribunal also slammed the board for acting with malice and vendetta against Wankhede and restrained it from proceeding further on the basis of the charge memorandum.
Wankhede had approached the tribunal after disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him following his exit from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai amid controversy over the investigation of the case.
The disciplinary action against Wankhede stemmed from allegations linked to the Cordelia cruise drug bust, which had led to actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan’s arrest in 2021.
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