Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede recently responded to allegations of a smear campaign against him and denied leaking chats with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The controversies came to light after Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested in an alleged international drugs racket case in 2021. Aryan spent 25 days in prison before being granted bail and later cleared of all charges. However, Wankhede’s arrest of Aryan had triggered a media storm.
Speaking with MEDIA, Wankhede was asked if he was targeted by the media for Aryan’s arrest. He said, “I won’t say I was targeted but will say that I have been the most fortunate person because I got a lot of love from people from the middle class, those who aren’t that fortunate.” “They felt that no matter how big someone is, everyone should face the same rules.”
Further, Wankhede was asked about leaked chats between him and SRK, where the actor allegedly asked him to drop the case against Aryan. While he refrained from commenting directly (due to a court-submitted affidavit), he vehemently denied leaking the chats. He also dismissed allegations of taking ₹25cr bribe for Aryan’s release, saying: “I never released him, I in fact caught him. The case is in court and I have trust in our country’s judiciary system.”
Wankhede also spoke about a line in Khan’s recent film Jawan, which some speculated was directed at him. Although he hasn’t seen the film, he objected to the use of the word “baap” in the dialogue, calling it “roadside and third-rate.” He also recalled his respectful relationship with Khan during his tenure as DCP of Mumbai airport.
