Sameer Wankhede denies leaking Shah Rukh Khan’s chats, defends Aryan Khan’s arrest

In a recent interaction, Sameer Wankhede, the former Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), addressed the controversy surrounding the investigation into Aryan Khan‘s alleged involvement in an international drug racket. Wankhede, who led the investigation and arrested Aryan in 2021, spoke about the smear campaign he claimed was orchestrated against him.He also responded to the allegations of taking a bribe to release Aryan and clarified the situation regarding his leaked chats with Shah Rukh Khan. Aryan Khan, after spending 25 days in prison, was granted bail and later cleared of all charges related to the case.
When asked if the media targeted him for arresting a superstar’s son, Sameer Wankhede told NEWJ that the media attention was big because of the case. He said he was just doing his job and stayed professional. “I won’t say I was targeted but will say that I have been the most fortunate person because I got a lot of love from people from the middle class, those who aren’t that fortunate. Sometimes I would think that this ordeal is worth it because of all the love I got. They felt that no matter how big someone is, everyone should face the same rules. I don’t have any regrets, I will do the same if given a chance.”
When asked about Shah Rukh Khan’s chats asking him to drop the case against Aryan, Sameer Wankhede said he couldn’t comment due to a court affidavit. He also clarified that he did not leak the chats, saying, “I am not that weak that I will leak things.” When asked if the chats were deliberately leaked to portray Shah Rukh Khan and Aryan as victims, he responded, “Whoever did this, I will tell them to try harder.”
Responding to allegations that he took a Rs 25 crore bribe to release Aryan, Sameer Wankhede strongly denied the claims. He said, “I never released him, I actually caught him. The case is in court, and I trust our country’s judiciary system.”
Sameer shared that he has no interest in watching films and admitted that he didn’t watch Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, which includes a line believed to be aimed at him. He said, “I don’t know if I was the target of the dialogue. I didn’t watch the film. I’m not that important for someone to use my name to make their film a hit.” However, he criticized the use of the word “baap” in the dialogue, calling it “roadside and third-rate.”
Wankhede also spoke about his relationship with Shah Rukh Khan, recalling that they had a respectful rapport during his time as DCP of the Mumbai airport. He said, “We were in a very respectful, honourable relation.” In response to allegations that his team harassed Aryan Khan while the media portrayed him as a child, Wankhede strongly disagreed, stating, “I don’t think I arrested a kid. At 23, Bhagat Singh gave his life for the country. You wouldn’t call him a kid.”