The Supreme Court on Monday (January 19, 2026) has rejected the petition filed by the Central Government regarding the promotion of Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and former NCB officer Sameer Gyandev Wankhede. This petition was filed against the decision of Delhi High Court, in which the promotion of Sameer Gyandev Wankhede was upheld. The Supreme Court rejected the petition and said that it will not interfere in this decision.
The bench of Justice PS Narsingh and Justice Alok Arade was hearing the case. Rejecting the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Central Government, the bench said that it is not inclined to interfere in this decision under Article 136 of the Constitution. The court said that this dismissal will not have any impact on any other case.
This SLP was filed regarding the Delhi High Court’s decision of 28 August 2025, in which the order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) was upheld. CAT had directed the Central Government to open the sealed envelope containing the promotion details of Sameer Wankhede and if UPSC recommends, then he should be promoted to the post of Additional Commissioner from January 2021.
On October 17, 2025, the Delhi High Court rejected the review petition of the Center and also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on it. Earlier, the bench of Justice Naveen Chawla and Justice Madhu Jain had criticized the behavior of the Central Government and said that all the facts should have been truly disclosed before filing the review petition. The Delhi High Court also noted that the Central Government did not disclose the order given by CAT in August 2025, in which there was a direction to stop the departmental action against Sameer Wankhede.
CAT had ordered the government in December 2024 to open the sealed envelope and if UPSC suggests Wankhede’s name, then he should be promoted to the post of Additional Commissioner from January 2021. Now after the rejection of the SLP, the Supreme Court has confirmed the validity and correctness of the orders of CAT and Delhi High Court and has rejected the challenge of the Central Government at all levels.
Sameer Wankhede’s name first came into limelight when the 2021 Cordelia Cruise drug case was raided and the name of actor Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was also allegedly linked to it. Later, he was also accused of misconduct and fake caste certificate.
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