Overview
- The Central Administrative Tribunal on January 19 set aside the August 18, 2025 charge memorandum against Sameer Wankhede, citing grave procedural impropriety, malice in law and abuse of process.
- The Tribunal restrained authorities from proceeding further, barred reliance on Special Enquiry Team material already interdicted by courts and confirmed its earlier interim stay.
- The CAT faulted the charge memo for a NIL witness list and Rule 14 defects, noting willful disobedience of interim directions and warning that any inquiry would be a farcical exercise.
- The Supreme Court on January 20 dismissed the Union’s special leave petitions, leaving intact Delhi High Court and CAT directions to consider Wankhede’s promotion from January 1, 2021, if recommended by the UPSC.
- The apex court clarified that its dismissal does not affect other proceedings, as CBI and ED investigations related to the 2021 Cordelia cruise case remain reported and ongoing.