The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has said that it will investigate a complaint received by Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede alleging harassment by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Deputy Director General (DDG) Dnyaneshwar Singh. who headed the vigilance probe. It found irregularities in the 2021 drug-on-cruise case. The commission, in a statement on Tuesday, said it would investigate the alleged harassment and atrocities committed by Singh and directed that no further action would be taken in the matter pending the complaint. Before the panel, which has the powers of a civil court.
The NCB had launched a vigilance probe last October after several loopholes were found in its probe into alleged drug seizure from a cruise ship in Mumbai. Aryan Khan, son Bollywood Actor Shah Rukh Khan was arrested after a raid on the ship, but was later given a ‘clean chit’ in the case. Wankhede was the zonal director of NCB Mumbai when the raid was conducted on the Goa-bound ship.
“The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has received a complaint or information from Wankhede and the Commission has decided to investigate or investigate the matter in pursuance of the powers conferred on it under the Constitution,” the statement said.
Wankhede, who was transferred to the Directorate of DG Taxpayer Services in Chennai in May, also met the NCSC chairman and discussed his matter in detail. “There appears to be discrimination and harassment against the petitioner (who belongs to Scheduled Caste). Therefore, NCSC desires that no further action should be taken in this matter till the matter is pending with the Commission.
The commission has asked the Central Board of Indirect Texas and Customs (CBIC) to hand over the original documents submitted by the Special Inquiry Team (SET) of NCB for examination by the panel. Indian Revenue Service (IRS) is governed by CBIC.
The NCSC, which enjoys the powers of a civil court, has asked the CBIC, a body functioning under the revenue department of the Union finance ministry, to furnish the information sought by it within 15 days.
When contacted by PTI, Wankhede said, “I have approached the commission but do not wish to comment further as the matter is sub-judice. Singh humiliated and made fun of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. I have been facing continuous harassment and exploitation since a year. The NCB probe into the drugs-on-cruise case has revealed several irregularities, but no evidence of extortion has been found, an official said on Tuesday.
The Special Investigation Team of the NCB probing the case had submitted its vigilance report a few weeks back. This flagged the “suspicious behavior” of seven to eight NCB officials. The official had said that the motives of the officers involved in the investigation of the drugs-on-cruise case were also questioned and some people had changed their statements several times.
He had said there were “selective remedies” and procedural lapses during the investigation. He said the report recommended action against the erring officials, including those who were then deputed to the NCB.
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