Bombay High Court has granted permission for Sameer Wankhede, the former Mumbai Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau, to amend his plea and include additional grounds, as reported by ETimes. One notable addition is the proposition that individuals who pay bribes should also face prosecution. This development comes from the ongoing investigation involving Aryan Khan, son of renowned actor Shah Rukh Khan, and the alleged drug usage on a cruise ship.
According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Wankhede and four other suspects purportedly demanded a payment of Rs 25 crore from Shah Rukh Khan to prevent framing charges against his son, Aryan, after drugs were allegedly discovered on the cruise ship.
In May, Sameer Wankhede sought the dismissal of the lawsuit and sought interim protection against any coercive measures. The Bombay High Court granted him the requested protection. Subsequently, on Wednesday, Wankhede’s legal representatives, namely Aabad Ponda, Rizwan Merchant, and Sneha Sanap, approached the court seeking permission to amend the petition. They intended to include new grounds pertaining to sections of the law that stipulate the prosecution of individuals who offer or give bribes to public servants to obtain an unfair advantage. The division bench of justices permitted Wankhede to modify his plea; however, they stated that further revisions would not be permitted.
On July 20, the bench scheduled a second hearing for the plea and instructed the CBI to reply to the revised plea by that date. The court unfurled the ‘interim protection’ given to Wankhede till then.
