MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Tuesday extended its statement before the Bombay high court until March 1, assuring that it wouldn’t take coercive action against former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede in an alleged money laundering case.
A division bench of Justices P D Naik and N R Borkar noted the statement extended to March 1 in response to a plea made by Wankhede against the ED regarding the case. The ED, represented by counsel Sandesh Patil, had previously stated on February 15 that Wankhede would not be arrested until February 20.
During the pendency of the petition, the ED transferred the ECIR into a money laundering case against Wankhede to Delhi. The ED argued that the Bombay HC had no jurisdiction to hear the matter, but senior counsel Aabad Ponda, representing Wankhede, argued that the HC did have jurisdiction. The HC, in its order on February 15, noted, “considering the issues involved in this proceeding, the matter is required to be heard.”
On Tuesday, ED counsel Patil stated that the agency would be represented by the solicitor general on the next date.
The ED’s case against Wankhede is related to an alleged Rs 25 crore demand from family members of the accused, including actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, who was arrested in the 2021 Cordelia cruise ship drug bust case. The ED had filed its case based on a corruption case FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Wankhede challenged and sought the quashing of the ED case and probe, and as interim relief, he sought a stay on the probe and no coercive action against him until then. He also now seeks that the probe should not be transferred to the Delhi unit of ED.
Wankhede had obtained interim protection from arrest in May last year in the CBI case, which was extended from time to time.
The HC also adjourned Wankhede’s plea against the CBI FIR to March 27 and continued interim relief until then.
A division bench of Justices P D Naik and N R Borkar noted the statement extended to March 1 in response to a plea made by Wankhede against the ED regarding the case. The ED, represented by counsel Sandesh Patil, had previously stated on February 15 that Wankhede would not be arrested until February 20.
During the pendency of the petition, the ED transferred the ECIR into a money laundering case against Wankhede to Delhi. The ED argued that the Bombay HC had no jurisdiction to hear the matter, but senior counsel Aabad Ponda, representing Wankhede, argued that the HC did have jurisdiction. The HC, in its order on February 15, noted, “considering the issues involved in this proceeding, the matter is required to be heard.”
On Tuesday, ED counsel Patil stated that the agency would be represented by the solicitor general on the next date.
The ED’s case against Wankhede is related to an alleged Rs 25 crore demand from family members of the accused, including actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, who was arrested in the 2021 Cordelia cruise ship drug bust case. The ED had filed its case based on a corruption case FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Wankhede challenged and sought the quashing of the ED case and probe, and as interim relief, he sought a stay on the probe and no coercive action against him until then. He also now seeks that the probe should not be transferred to the Delhi unit of ED.
Wankhede had obtained interim protection from arrest in May last year in the CBI case, which was extended from time to time.
The HC also adjourned Wankhede’s plea against the CBI FIR to March 27 and continued interim relief until then.