Former Narcotics Control Bureau officer Sameer Wankhede, who is already under NCB Vigilance scanner, has been caught in cross hairs after he was accused of demanding Rs 25 crore bribe in exchange of not framing Aaryan, Shah Rukh Khan's son, in the drugs-on-cruise case.
The matter is being looked into by the Central Bureau Investigation who also raided his premises. The FIR registered by CBI made shocking accusations against Wankhede. It stated that the former NCB official had made multiple foreign visits which were under-reported.
The Free Press Journal has accessed exclusive details of NCB Vigilance SET's findings which stated that in a span of nearly five years--from 2017 to 2021--Wankhede made six private foreign visits with families to countries like United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, South Africa and Maldives. These trips span over 55 days of foreign stay with declared expenditure amount of Rs 8.75 lakh which barely cover air travel fares.
Wankhede, the SET finding showed, had justified his 19-day-long trip to London for tourism with just Rs 1 lakh as expense.
Undeclared foreign trips
SET enquiry further revealed that Wankhede and his friend Viral Jamaluddin, stayed in Taj Exotica in Maldives -- in suites overlooking the beach -- with their families and domestic helps in July 2021 on credit basis. The price of the stay amounted to Rs 7.5 lakh for Sameer's family.
The payment was made to the hotel only on December 18, 2021 through his friend Viral's credit card after SET began its probe against Wankhede in October 2021 after extortion allegations were leveled against him by one of the witnesses of drugs-on-cruise case.
The probe report stated that they spotted non intimation/misreporting of the trip, hence, CCS Conduct rule violation has been reported to his parent department for further action.
The SET enquiry revealed that Sameer Wankhede's several private visits to international destinations have been misdeclared in the prescribed pro forma. Nor there is information on his lodging and boarding during these trips. The matter was revealed when Wankhede had sought permission to visit Maldives.
"The enquiry has revealed that at the time of obtaining permission to visit Maldives, Sameer Wankhede concealed misdeciared details of his previous private visits to foreign countries in the prescribed application form dated July 12, 2021 submitted to NCB," SET report stated.
"The expenses of these declared private visits to countries have apparently been under-reported by Sameer Wankhede. In all the visits, expenditure incurred towards travelling, lodging, boarding, VISA, miscellaneous expenditure declared by him is in between Rs 1 Lakh to Rs 2.5 Lakh which is clearly wrong declaration/under-reporting," it further read.
Dubious transactions related to Maldives trip
The report further stated that a dubious transaction also came to light with respect to Maldives trip in July 2021; Wankhede had taken a loan of Rs 5,59,884 from his friend Viral Rajan and had not intimated his parent department or the department he was then posted with.
The report further stated that Viral's payment of Rs 9,03,055 in cash to JD's partner for booking hotel raised doubts about unaccounted money laundering.
Purchase of expensive watch
The SET report also stated that Wankhede bought a Rolex Gold watch--retailing at Rs 22,05,000 -- for Rs 17,40,000 on credit from his friend Viral. The vigilance probe panel found multiple invoices/quotes for the same watch. Viral, who financed Wankhede and his family's trip to Maldives, is buyer/seller of watches.
"In continuation to the above is the purchase of a Rolex Watch, in 2019. The watch price on one invoice is Rs 22,05,000 and on another is Rs 20,53,200. Thus, there appears to be some doubt in the authenticity of the invoices also. It has been stated by Viral Ranjan and Sameer Wankhede that the watch has been bought by the latter for Rs 17,40,000. It is not clear as to why an expensive watch has been sold at a price below MRP to Wankhede," the report stated.
A dubious transaction was also discovered by the SET which stated that Wankhede had sold four watches to Viral for Rs 7,40,000 the payment for which was made through cheque in favour of his [Wankhede] wife Kranti Redkar. The panel noted in their report that mode of acquisition of these watches was questionable and there was no report of the same.
It is also pertinent to raise doubt as to how Wankhede received the payment immediately for the watches sold to unknown buyers and he is facilitated with credit for purchase of a new watch worth Rs 22 lakh, the report mentioned.
Properties of Sameer Wankhede
Sameer Wankhede owns four flats in Mumbai and 416. 88 acre land in Washim. Through his communication, Sameer has intimated to have spent Rs 82,87,399 on a fifth flat in Goregaon which is valued at Rs 2,45,49,918.
His declaration of this property is different in his statements and documents tendered by him. The source and amount of this transaction needs detailed enquiry, the report stated.
The report stated that according to the Income Tax Returns filed for Financial year 2018-19 and 2019-20, Sameer (Rs 31, 55, 883) and his wife Kranti's (Rs 14, 05, 577) total income was Rs 45, 61, 460 only while the expenditure on the two unreported transaction of Maldives trip (Rs 7,25,000) and buying of the expensive Rolex (Rs 22,05,000) watch amounts to Rs 29,30,000.
Wankhede had stated that his wife Kranti had invested Rs 1.25 crores in their flat before their marriage. The couple was married on February 8, 2017 and the ITR for FY 2016-17 wasn't provided by the couple and thus the source of the money that was used to pay Rs 1.25 crore for the flat is not clear.
The above expenditures added along with under-reported foreign visits, about Rs 10 lakh expenditure on furnishing the flat, different amount of acquisition of this flat raises question of disproportionate assets with respect to his known sources of income which needs deeper scrutiny.
Sameer Wankhede issues clarification
“NCB vigilance report has falsified and fabricated my true worth. I have total of six properties not four as alleged in the biased SIT report.
"All the properties and wealth is ancestral and before my joining the civil services duly declared and taxes paid. I do my service for passion not for salary,” said Sameer Wankhede.
