CAT quashes CBIC charges against Sameer Wankhede

NEW DELHI: Sameer Wankhede — the IRS-Customs officer who left Narcotics Control Bureau under controversial circumstances over a botched up probe in a drug-related case involving Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s son — on Monday got a reprieve from Central Administrative Tribunal, which set aside the disciplinary charges framed against him by his administrative department Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

Central Administrative Tribunal’s principal bench of chairman Ranjit More allowed Wankhede’s challenge to a Aug 2025 charge memorandum filed against him by CBIC and restrained authorities from taking any disciplinary action as his challenge to the charges against him were subject matter of a case sub-judice before Bombay high court.


The bench observed that CBIC must uphold the rule of law as “the chain of events unmistakably demonstrates that the impugned Charge Memorandum bears no real nexus with the purported allegations but appears to be retaliation of respondents arising out of a number of decisions in the matters of the applicant and also is looked as an endeavour to stall the promotion of the applicant”.

The CAT’s principal bench noted that “such conduct is ex facie demonstrative of malice in law and personal vendetta and colourable exercise of power”, while warning CBIC of facing a cost for such action unless they “mend their ways” and establish an administrative mechanism that upholds the rule of law. TNN
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