Supreme Court Upholds Sameer Wankhede Promotion, Refuses Government Appeal
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to intervene in the promotion of IRS officer Sameer Wankhede, clearing the way for him to become Joint Commissioner of Customs and Indirect Taxes. The top court dismissed the Central government’s appeal against the Delhi High Court’s August 2025 order, which had upheld the CAT’s December 2024 ruling in Wankhede’s favour.
The Delhi High Court had directed that Wankhede’s promotion, effective January 1, 2021, be implemented and his name placed appropriately on the seniority list, noting that no departmental proceedings or charge-sheets had been filed against him. The bench emphasized that the mere pendency of preliminary investigations cannot block a promotion, and authorities had the option to suspend him if allegations were serious—a step they had not taken.
The government had opposed the promotion citing multiple probes, including a CBI FIR in May 2023 and an ED investigation under the PMLA, linked to the 2021 Cordelia Cruise case. The high-profile case involved allegations of lapses, corruption, and extortion during NCB operations, including the arrest of Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan.
Wankhede, a 2008-batch IRS officer, gained national attention as NCB Mumbai Zonal Director for leading high-profile narcotics cases. While his tenure drew scrutiny and multiple complaints, the courts have ruled these pending investigations do not bar his career progression.
The Supreme Court’s decision now allows Wankhede’s promotion to proceed, ending months of legal uncertainty over his seniority and eligibility.
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