IRS officer and former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede has justified his foreign trips saying that they were funded by family and that he had declared the expenditure of the same to competent authority at the relevant times who never pointed out any discrepancies. Now false and baseless allegations are being made to falsely implicate him, he has claimed in his affidavit before the Bombay High Court.
Wankhede had approached HC seeking quashing of CBI's FIR
Wankhede had approached the high court seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him last month by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleging extortion and corruption in a probe related to the arrest of actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan in Cordelia Cruise drug bust case in October 2021. The CBI claimed that the officer allegedly demanded Rs25 crore from Shah Rukh Khan for not framing Aryan Khan.
The high court had granted interim protection from arrest to Wankhede, which the CBI urged the court to recall saying that it had prima evidence of extortion and corruption against Wankhede.
Wankhede then filed an additional affidavit refuting the claims made by CBI.
Father, wife's income more than claimed by SET: Wankhede
In the affidavit, Wankhede has submitted that the average annual income of his family – his wife Kranti Redkar and father Dyandev – is more compared to the claim by the SET.
As per the Income Tax Returns (ITR) submitted by Wankhede, Redkar and Dyandev for the assessment years from 2017-18 to 2021-22, their annual income was Rs22.16 lakh, Rs5.90 lakh and Rs4.99 lakh respectively.
The figures claimed by the SET were Rs15.75 lakh, Rs7 lakh and Rs3.45 lakh respectively.
Wankhede has said that his income for the assessment years from 2017-18 to 2021-22 had been Rs18.49 lakh, Rs21.70 lakh, Rs23.36 lakh, Rs24.94 lakh and Rs22.27 lakh respectively.
Wankhede gives details of foreign trip funding
In his affidavit, Wankhede has justified his foreign trips between 2017 and 2021 saying the same was funded by the family members.
Their London tour in January 2017 was funded by his father. His wife Redkar financed their tours to Portugal in April 2017, London in December 2017 and UK tours in February 2020.
He financed their South Africa tour in January 2020 and their Maldives tour in January 2021 was jointly financed.
Further added that the Rolex watch was purchased for Rs17.40 lakh by Redkar and has attached the invoice for the same. “… from which Rs 7.4 lakh was adjusted against old watches and only Rs 10 lakh was paid,” Wankhede claimed.
