Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhade was called in by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on May 17, 2023. A corruption case was filed against Wankhede and his other team members for demanding a bribe of Rs 25 crore from Shah Rukh Khan by threatening to incriminate his son Aryan Khan in the drug case.
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Wankhede is one of the three officers who led the October 2021 raid on a cruise in which the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) claimed to have seized drugs from Aryan Khan and 19 others, and arrested them. Later Mr. Wankhede was criticized for mishandling the case and was transferred from his position as the chief of NCB’s Mumbai zone.
Aryan Khan was not the first case in which Sameer Wankhede was involved, He was involved in several high-profile cases. Read more here.
About Sameer Wankhede
Sameer Wankhede was born in 1979 and is currently 44 years old. Sameer Wankhede hails from Maharashtra, and his father, Dnyandeo Wankhede, was a police officer. In one of his statements, he said that his father is a Hindu and his mother is a Muslim, and she is no more.
In 2008, Sameer was selected by Indian Revenue Service (IRS). After completing his training, he was first posted at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai as Deputy Customs Commissioner. Later, he was transferred to Andhra Pradesh and then to Delhi.
Sameer Wankhede Family
On March 29, 2017, Sameer Wankhede wed Kranti Redkar in a small ceremony. Famous Indian actress Sameer’s wife has appeared in numerous Hindi and Marathi films. Although Kranti is primarily prominent in Marathi cinema, she has also collaborated with Ajay Devgn.
Before marrying Kranti, Wankhede was married to Dr. Shabana Qureshi and later they parted ways. Wankhese and Shabana together have a son. While Kranti is Sameer’s second wife and together the couple have twin daughters.
Sameer Wankhede’s career and link with ‘high-profile cases
It is not the first time that he has grabbed attention with a high-profile case, his stint began in the year 2007 when he was deployed as a customs officer at the Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. He made sure that every celebrity got their bags checked before leaving the airport.
He seems to have a strong connection with King Khan especially as he had even fined him a sum of Rs. 1.5 Lakh at the airport. Later on, at the customs and the service tax department, he took care of other celebrities like Vivek Oberoi, Mika Singh, Anurag Kashyap, and Ram Gopal Verma.
When Sameer Wankhede didn’t exempt the Golden WC Trophy
He also made sure that the 2011 World Cup trophy was released with duty from the airport. He has been involved in the investigation of almost all the big names of the Bollywood industry. From Deepika Padukone to now Aryan Khan, he has continued to keep the industry under the radar.
Claims of being ‘spied’ on
The 2008-batch IRS officer has recently filed a complaint of being followed by some men in plain clothes even when he is on a trip to a crematorium in the Oshiwara suburban area, where his mother is buried. Wankhede has been visiting it since his mother’s demise in 2015.
The NCB Director booked his complaint with CCTV footage as proof and said he had come to know from his sources that he was being followed for many days. He has also requested police protection for himself and his family as well.
Sushant Singh Rajput Case
Wankhede was also involved in the investigation of the much-hyped drug case of Rhea Chakraborty, after actor Sushant Singh Rajput hanged himself to death last year in June 2020. The NCB official has now taken over yet another high-profile case of Aryan Khan, where Aryan Khan has rejected his bail plea four times already.
Verbal spat with Nawab Malik
Engaged in a war of words with NCP leader, Nawab Malik, he has debunked all of Malik’s allegations about him working for the BJP. The leader also called the raid ‘fake’. Wankhede had arrested Malik’s son-in-law in a drugs case, and he was in jail for more than six months.
His Excellence in Investigation
The NCB has also been questioned for focusing on small quantities of drugs from the time when Wankhede joined the Bureau in September 2020 to February 2021- with 12 out of 30 cases registered as small seizures. Earlier the NCB only raided big factories that produced drugs. He recently received the ‘Maharashtra Samman Award for his excellence in the investigation.
Known for his no-nonsense attitude, Wankhede has lined up many high-profile celebrities for questioning since his commissioning at the Narcotics Control Bureau. Comedian Bharti Singh and her husband were even arrested for a short span after the couple was found in possession of drugs at their residence.
Wankhede is serving under a six-month extension as a zonal officer with NCB which is his second extension so far.
Sameer Wankhede FAQs
A. Sameer Wankhede is currently 44 years old.
A. Sameer Wankhede was first married to Dr. Shabana Qureshi and later they parted ways.
A. After the divorce, Sameer Wankhede got married to actress Kranti Redkar in 2017.
A. Sameer Wankhede and his teammates demanded Rs. 25 crore as a bribe in Aryan Khan’s case.
A. 2008 Batch IRS did not disclose his rank publically.
He seems to the most genuine and honest officer. I salute him.