The Delhi High Court on Monday reserved its verdict on a plea filed by the Union government challenging the Central Administrative Tribunal’s (CAT) decision to quash disciplinary proceedings against Indian Revenue Service officer Sameer Wankhede in connection with the 2021 Cordelia cruise drug bust case.
A bench of Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Amit Mahajan heard detailed arguments from both sides before reserving its judgment.
Sameer Wankhede, a 2008-batch IRS officer, had served as the Mumbai zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and gained widespread attention for arresting Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, in the high-profile cruise drug case in October 2021. Wankhede was later accused of demanding ₹25 crore from the Khan family to drop Aryan from the case.
On August 18, 2025, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) initiated disciplinary proceedings against Wankhede through a ‘Charge Memorandum’. The officer challenged the move before the CAT, which on January 19, 2026, quashed the proceedings citing mala fide intentions.
Appearing for the Union government, the Centre’s counsel argued that the CAT’s findings branding the disciplinary proceedings as “malafide” were not backed by any cogent evidence and were “bald assertions”.
He pointed out that the proceedings were initiated on the basis of a June 2, 2022 call transcript, submitted by Wankhede himself in his Bombay High Court petition. The transcript allegedly showed that Wankhede, even after being officially detached from the NCB, attempted to access confidential information from the agency’s legal wing and influence the investigation.
The Centre maintained that there were specific and substantiated charges against Wankhede and, at best, any procedural lapses could have been rectified rather than setting aside the entire disciplinary action.
Wankhede’s lawyer supported the CAT’s decision, terming the disciplinary proceedings as a targeted move to harass his client. He questioned why no action was taken against the NCB’s legal officer who was allegedly contacted by Wankhede.
“There is ex facie malafide in the manner in which you have chargesheeted him. The order (of the CAT) deserves to be upheld,” the lawyer submitted.
Notably, the Delhi High Court had earlier refused to interfere with CAT’s interim stay on the proceedings, but had directed the tribunal to expedite the matter and decide it within ten days of the January 14, 2026 date.
With the verdict now reserved, all eyes are on the Delhi High Court’s decision, which will have significant implications not just for Wankhede’s career, but also for the disciplinary authority’s powers and the CAT’s scrutiny over departmental actions.
