Delhi High Court allows disciplinary proceedings against Sameer Wankhede in the Cordelia cruise drug bust case, setting aside CAT’s stay and enabling the government to continue its inquiry.
The Delhi High Court has allowed disciplinary proceedings to go ahead against former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede in connection with alleged irregularities during the 2021 Cordelia cruise drug bust case.
A division bench of Justices Yashwant Varma and Ravinder Dudeja set aside a Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order that had earlier stayed the disciplinary action, clearing the way for the government to continue its inquiry against Wankhede. The court held that the tribunal had prematurely interfered in an ongoing departmental process and that there was no legal bar to continuing the proceedings.
The case relates to the high-profile raid conducted by the NCB aboard the Cordelia cruise ship off the Mumbai coast in October 2021, which led to multiple arrests, including that of actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan. The operation had later come under intense scrutiny following allegations of procedural lapses, misconduct, and extortion attempts.
Subsequently, a vigilance inquiry was ordered, which reportedly found irregularities in Wankhede’s conduct, including failure to follow mandatory procedures and alleged misuse of authority. Based on the findings, the Centre initiated disciplinary proceedings, which were later stayed by the CAT.
Challenging the tribunal’s order, the Union government argued that disciplinary proceedings are administrative in nature and should not be stalled at a preliminary stage. Agreeing with this view, the Delhi High Court ruled that Wankhede must face the departmental inquiry, allowing the process to move forward.
The decision marks a significant development in the long-running Cordelia cruise case, which has remained in the public spotlight due to its political and legal ramifications.
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