HC stays NCB inquiries against Sameer Wankhede

The Bombay High Court stayed multiple inquiries by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) against its former Mumbai zonal director, Sameer Wankhede, over alleged irregularities in two cases.

The court questioned the NCB for acting on anonymous complaints and allegations made by accused persons, warning it would demoralize honest officers and set a dangerous precedent.

Wankhede, a 2008-batch IRS officer, had challenged the NCB's decision to summon him in 2024 over complaints based on an anonymous letter received by former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in 2021.

The inquiries pertained to a case involving a Nigerian drug peddler and a drug case involving UK-based actress Sapna Pabbi, who worked with Sushant Singh Rajput in the movie Drive.

The high court admitted Wankhede's petition and barred the NCB from proceeding with the inquiries, with Wankhede arguing the action was an 'act of vengeance'.