PIL in Bombay HC to make Shah Rukh Khan, son Aryan accused in CBI's bribery case against Sameer Wankhede

A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay High Court seeking to make actor Shah Rukh Khan as an accused for allegedly giving a bribe in order to save his son Aryan Khan. The PIL will be heard on June 20, 2023.

The plea states the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an FIR against former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede for accepting a bribe of Rs 50 lakhs to favour Aryan Khan in the 2021 Cordelia cruise drug bust, reported India Today. It seeks the use of Narco analysis and lie detector tests to bring out the truth.

The plea cites Section 12 of The Prevention of Corruption Act, which states if any person gives a bribe to any officer without informing the Anti-Corruption Bureau about getting any favour from the said public servant in his official capacity, then such person is liable for prosecution. It sought prosecution against Shah Rukh Khan and Aryan Khan.

It further seeks the transfer of investigation from the CBI to a Special Investigations Team and action against Mumbai Police officials who conducted an inquiry and gave a clean chit to Sameer Wankhede and others from the charges of corruption and misusing public machinery, property and resources for unauthorised purposes to save the accused.

It also seeks that Shah Rukh Khan, Sameer Wankhede, Aryan Khan and NCB officials be subjected to Narco analysis test, lie detector test and brain mapping test.

It may be noted that former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede, who is the main accused in the case, has been granted interim protection by the Bombay High Court till June 23.

The CBI recently filed an FIR against Wankhede and others for allegedly seeking bribe for not framing Aryan Khan in the drugs-on-cruise case.

The NCB arrested Aryan on October 3, 2021 after a raid on the Cordelia cruise ship and he was granted bail by the Bombay High Court after three weeks.

(With inputs from Mustafa Shaikh)