Aryan Khan case: Shah Rukh called me ’upright’, says Sameer Wankhede; rebuked by court

Former anti-drugs officer Sameer Wankhede, who arrested Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan in 2021, on 22 May had used his alleged chats with Shah Rukh in the Bombay High Court in his defence and cited his purported description of him as an 'upright officer', reported NDTV.

Following this, the Bombay High Court granted him a reprieve and stayed his arrest till 8 June. However, the bench reprimanded Wankhede for the leak of the alleged WhatsApp chats between him and Shah Rukh Khan.

Presenting the case, the CBI in the court said that Wankhede deliberately leaked Shah Rukh Khan's chats to a section of the media, that may affect the probing of the case. The investigative agency even said that Wankhede can also influence the investigation and tamper with the evidence.

ALSO READ: ‘Sameer sahib,as a father if I can speak with you’, Shah Rukh Khan begs Sameer Wankhede in released chats

However, Wankhede's lawyer argued that he did not leak any chat to the media. The lawyer said that these chats were a part of his petition and added as he had been accused of extorting the star to free his son.

"Shah Rukh Khan himself is calling him an upright officer", the lawyer argued.

As per the screenshot cited by Wankhede, SRK had written to him, as quoted by NDTV, ""God bless you. I have to come personally whenever you say and give a hug to you. Let me please know whenever it's convenient for you. Really I have always had the highest regard for your uprightness and now it has increased manifolds. Big respect. Love srk."

Meanwhile, CBI aid the chat was no proof of Mr Wankhede's innocence. After this, the court ordered Wankhede o cooperate with the investigation and appear before the CBI whenever needed.

Apart from this, the court also ordered that Wankhede cannot share any information related to the case or speak to the media.

In 3 October 3, 2021, Wankhede, then zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau in Mumbai, had arrested Aryan Khan after a drugs raid on a cruise party. Wankhede submitted in the Bombay High Court screenshots of alleged chats last week, in which Shah Rukh Khan appeared to beg him to free Aryan Khan as 'he will break as a human being'.

Shah Rukh Khan's son was released after nearly a month in jail. Now, Wankhede is accused by the CBI of allegedly demanding ₹25 crore bribe from SRK to not implicate Aryan Khan.