A new twist has surfaced in the case of Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede, with the Delhi High Court admitting the Central government’s petition challenging the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order giving relief to the officer by quashing disciplinary action against him.
A Division Bench comprising justices Anil Kshetarpal and Amit Mahajan set aside the CAT order on Friday and cleared the way for disciplinary action against Wankhede.
The CAT, in its order issued on January 19, 2026, had slammed the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) 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 Cordelia cruise drug 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.
The CBIC had initiated the disciplinary proceedings against Wankhede following allegations linked to a preliminary inquiry conducted by a Special Enquiry Team (SET). The SET had examined complaints against him following his role in the high-profile 2021 Cordelia cruise drug seizure case while serving with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
It needs to be recalled that noted actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, had been arrested by the NCB in that case.
Wankhede’s contention was that the findings of the preliminary inquiry could not be used as the basis for formal disciplinary action because the CBIC had not followed due process. He added that the charge memorandum issued to him was arbitrary, legally unsustainable and motivated by malice.
In their plea before the High Court, the Union government and CBIC argued that the Tribunal exceeded its jurisdiction by interfering at the stage of issuance of charges.
They also objected to the CAT attributing malice and motive to the government’s actions.
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