Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday rejected the petition by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede seeking interim protection against arrest after Maharashtra government's lawyer assured that a 3-day notice will be given before his arrest by Mumbai Police.
According to reports, Wankhede approached Bombay High Court over "apprehensions that Mumbai Police may arrest him."
Wankhede had sought an urgent hearing of his plea challenging the Mumbai police's decision to form a four-member team to investigate the allegations of extortion and corruption against him, in the aftermath of the cruise drugs case in which actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan was arrested.
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"As the petition is in respect to Prevention of Corruption Act, we will give prior notice of 72 hours if we will register an offence under the Act," news agency ANI quoted Maharashtra government's lawyer telling the court.
Wankhede also moved Bombay High Court over the inquiry against him by Maharashtra government and has demanded the probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any central agency in the matter.
However, the government lawyer informed the court that there are 4 different complaints against Sameer Wankhede.
"An ACP level officer is heading the inquiry which has just begun. We have not registered any FIR against Wankhede yet so the application is at a premature stage," lawyer said.
Meanwhile, the NCB vigilance probe team and an ACP-level Mumbai Police officer have launched independent probes into the allegations of 'extortion' and other issues against Wankhede.
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The NCB team is understood to have recorded Wankhede's statement besides summoning a 'Panch-Witness' Prabhakar Sail for the probe.
At least four complaints lodged against Wankhede in different police stations in Mumbai will now be handled by the ACP who will investigate and prepare his report in the matter.
The two independent probes follow the series of allegations against Wankhede coming vide Panch-Witness Prabhakar Sail's affidavit, besides the serial exposes undertaken by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Minister Nawab Malik, after Aryan Khan sensational arrest.