Sameer Wankhede, who arrested Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, set to return to Mumbai

Observing that the Union finance ministry and the Central Board for Direct Taxes, which opposed his plea, were “biased towards the applicant,” the bench of CAT Chairman Ranjit More and Member Rajinder Kashyap last month quashed and set aside the transfer order.

As per the plea filed by Wankhede, after his tenure at the NCB, where he was involved in the arrests of NCP leader Nawab Malik’s son-in-law and Aryan Khan in connection with narcotics cases, he was transferred from the NCB to the DGARM office in Mumbai, which he joined on January 4, 2022. Five months later, however, on May 30, he was transferred to the DGTS office in Chennai, where he took charge.

Wankhede then made representations to the government that he be transferred back to Mumbai, citing various threats that he and his family had received. After he was not transferred back, Wankhede approached the CAT against the transfer order.

Wankhede alleged that his transfer to Chennai was an “offshoot” of allegations made against him during his tenure at the NCB. He further said the NCB’s Special Enquiry Team set up to probe the allegations had not given him an opportunity to defend himself, a fact upheld by higher courts.

During the hearing, the government submitted that the 2008-batch IRS officer had been posted only in Mumbai since he was in service and had never worked outside Mumbai and that there had been allegations of illegal activities against him.

The bench, however, observed that the officer had been loaned out to agencies during his tenure when he had worked outside the city, had a good service record and had consistently received good ratings from his seniors. The bench then quashed the order that transferred him to Chennai, meaning he would return to his posting at the DGARM in Mumbai.