Wankhede Escalates Battle Against Government Over Cordelia Cruise Case Charges

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Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede has challenged the Centre's petition in the Delhi High Court, opposing the government's move to overturn a Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order that quashed disciplinary charges against him related to the 2021 Cordelia cruise raid. Wankhede's lawyer, Nidhesh Gupta, argued that the charges were a 'desperate attempt' by the government to stall his promotion and harass him. The charges stemmed from allegations that Wankhede sought confidential information from a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) official in June 2022, despite being formally relieved from the NCB six months prior. Wankhede's side claims that no action was taken against the NCB official, who was involved in the alleged misconduct. The CAT had earlier quashed the charges, citing grave procedural impropriety and malice. The Centre, however, maintains that the charges were specific and not vague, and that there was no mala fide intent. The case has been ongoing since Wankhede's high-profile arrest of Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan in 2021, which led to multiple agencies scrutinizing Wankhede for alleged corruption and extortion.