Wankhede Case Update: Bombay HC Delays Hearing; No Arrest Until Feb 20

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has pledged to the Bombay High Court that Sameer Wankhede, the former zonal director of the Mumbai unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau, will not face arrest in a money laundering case until February 20th. This development comes in response to Wankhede's petition to the HC, seeking the dismissal of the case filed by the ED, along with a request for an interim order to suspend the investigation and protect him from coercive measures.

Court Postpones Hearing Due to Time Constraints

A division bench of Justices P D Naik and N R Borkar has cited time constraints for the postponement of the hearing. With the court's closure on Monday (February 19) and limited time on Thursday and Friday, the plea can only be addressed on Tuesday (February 20). The bench stressed the importance of a thorough hearing and sought clarification from advocate Sandesh Patil, representing the ED, regarding any intention to arrest Wankhede before the given date. Patil assured the court, after consulting with relevant officials, that no arrest would be made until February 20.

Jurisdictional Dispute Arises

During the proceedings, Patil informed the court that the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) had been transferred to the ED's Delhi office. Consequently, Wankhede was advised to pursue the matter there, as the jurisdiction lies in that location. However, Wankhede's counsel, Aabad Ponda, countered this argument, highlighting that previous directives had instructed Wankhede to seek relief from the Mumbai court regarding the CBI's corruption and extortion case, which forms the basis of the ED's investigation. Ponda further emphasized that Wankhede had been granted interim protection by the HC last year in the CBI case, which remains in effect.

Wankhede Alleges Malice and Vendetta

In his plea, Wankhede has vehemently contended that the ED's case against him is fueled by malice and vendetta. He pointed out that while the ECIR was filed last year, summons were issued to some NCB officers only after he lodged a complaint against NCB's deputy director, Gyaneshwar Singh, before a Delhi court last month, seeking action under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Wankhede further alleged that Singh and other influential individuals had orchestrated a campaign involving agencies like the CBI, ED, and NCB to frame him in a case.