On Thursday, 7th September 2023, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) reportedly ruled an order stating that NCB Deputy Director General Gyaneshwar Singh should not have been a member of the special inquiry team (SET) established to investigate alleged procedural deficiencies by former NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede.
This decision was based on the fact that Singh had provided instructions to Wankhede during the investigation of the Cordelia cruise drugs case, which involved Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan. Coincidentally, this development has come on the release day of Shah Rukh Khan’s film ‘Jawan’.
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) acknowledged the National Control Bureau’s (NCB) argument that the special inquiry team (SET) report was preliminary and that any actions against Wankhede would be independently determined by the Union government and the NCB. A panel of judges heard Sameer Wankhede’s petition, in which he sought the dismissal of a CBI case against him for alleged extortion and bribery, based on the findings of the SET led by Gyaneshwar Singh.
The CAT, based on a thorough investigation, evidence, and documents, held that Gyaneswar Singh, being actively involved in the Cordelian. cruise investigation, could not have been a part of the SET set against Wankehde.
According to the case, Sameer Wankhede and four others were accused of soliciting a bribe of Rs 25 crore from actor Shah Rukh Khan to avoid framing his son Aryan, who was allegedly involved in the 2021 drug seizure on the Cordelia cruise ship. Sameer Wankhede, refuting these allegations, sought to have the CBI case against him dismissed, contending that Gyaneshwar Singh, his reporting boss during the case in question, was “acting as the judge of his own cause and conduct.” He pursued this argument in both the CAT and, more recently, the Bombay High Court.
Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan’s film ‘Jawan’ is released today. The movie also stars Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Sanya Malhotra, and Priyamani, and includes cameo appearances by Deepika Padukone and Thalapathy Vijay. ‘Jawan’ is a Red Chillies Entertainment production directed by Atlee, produced by Gauri Khan, and co-produced by Gaurav Verma. The film has been released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu languages.
On 3rd October 2021, Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, and other 6 people were detained from a luxury cruise liner where a rave party was going on. As per reports, cocaine and ecstasy pills were found on Khan and others with him. The Court had then held that a prima facie case is made out against Khan and other co-accused. However, on 28 October 2023, the Bombay High Court granted Khan and two others bail in the case.
