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Bombay High Court Bars NCB From Summoning Sameer Wankhede Pending Petition

The court’s interim order shields Wankhede from questioning and flags the risks of entertaining anonymous or accused-origin complaints against investigating officers.

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Former NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede argued that the NCB was targeting him and the inquiry against him was an “act of vengeance”. (PTI)
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Overview

  • A division bench of the Bombay High Court admitted Sameer Wankhede’s 2024 petition and on Thursday ordered that he not be summoned for questioning in the NCB’s departmental enquiries until the case is finally heard.
  • The bench warned that acting on allegations by accused persons or anonymous complaints would demoralise honest investigators and could create a dangerous precedent for the criminal justice system.
  • The NCB told the court the enquiries were opened after receiving two anonymous complaints and said the matter is at a preliminary verification stage, with notices having been issued to Wankhede between November 2023 and March 2024.
  • Wankhede has said the notices are politically motivated and an act of vengeance, alleging former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik instigated the complaints after the arrest of Malik’s son-in-law.
  • Separate criminal probes by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate that began in May 2023 for alleged extortion, bribery and money‑laundering tied to the 2021 Cordelia cruise case remain distinct and continue to be litigated in court.