The Delhi High Court on Friday allowed a plea filed by the Central government challenging the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order quashing disciplinary action against IRS officer Sameer Wankhede.

A Division Bench of Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Amit Mahajan set aside the CAT order of January 2026 by which the tribunal had restrained restrained the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) from proceeding further against Wankhede.

The disciplinary proceedings against Wankhede were started by the CBIC. They stemmed from allegations linked to a preliminary inquiry conducted by a Special Enquiry Team (SET), which examined complaints against the IRS officer following his role in the high-profile 2021 Cordelia cruise drug seizure case while serving with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

Actor Shah Rukh Khan's son, Aryan Khan, was arrested by the NCB in the same case.

Wankhede contended that the findings of the preliminary inquiry could not be used as the basis for formal disciplinary action and that the CBIC had failed to follow due process. He added that the charge memorandum issued to him was arbitrary, legally unsustainable and motivated by malice.

In its order, the CAT agreed with Wankhede’s submissions and quashed the charge memorandum, observing that the government acted against the officer in a biased manner and their actions seemed to be borne out of malice.

In their plea before the High Court, the Union government and CBIC argued that the Tribunal exceeded its jurisdiction by interfering at the stage of issuance of charges.

They also objected to the CAT attributing malice and motive to the government's actions.