HC frowns on media report in Sameer Wankhede case, asks who is leaking CBI info
Bombay High Court on Thursday frowned on media reports pertaining to witnesses who will be summoned in the CBI probe against IRS officer Sameer Wankhede on charges of extortion and bribery in connection with the cruise ship drug bust case. The HC sought to know who was leaking such information. A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and S G Dige said the media reports have said the information is from Central Bureau of Investigation sources.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by Wankhede, former zonal director of the Mumbai unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau, seeking for the CBI case against him to be quashed. As per the CBI, Wankhede and four other accused had demanded Rs 25 crore bribe from actor Shah Rukh Khan for not framing his son Aryan Khan following alleged seizure of drugs from a cruise ship. In May, the HC provided Wankhede interim protection from coercive action in the case.
On Thursday, Wankhede's counsel Aabad Ponda told the court a news report has revealed the witnesses that would be summoned in the case by CBI. «Following court directions passed earlier, Wankhede has given an undertaking that he would not speak to the media or reveal any probe related information. The reason being this is a sensitive case.
But the same sanctity should be maintained from the other side too,» Ponda said. Advocate Kuldeep Patil, appearing for the CBI, said no officer from the Central agency had revealed anything to the media. The HC bench, however, questioned how the press knew which witness was going to be summoned.
«The rule made applicable to the petitioner (Wankhede) is equally applicable to you (CBI). Tell us who is informing the press. A press reporter publishes something with some responsibility...it is not
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