Seven agencies are after Sameer Wankhede because he did his duty: Kranti Redkar

Mumbai: Indian Revenue Service officer Sameer Wankhede needs no introduction. Known to possess a no-nonsense and fearless attitude while posted in Customs, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Service Tax, and the Narcotics Control Bureau, he has lately been embroiled in controversies.

The last couple of years have been difficult for the officer who, during his posting in Customs, did not show leniency to anyone, be it unknown travelers evading duty, celebrities, or even the cricket World Cup trophy that he released only after payment of duty in 2011. He was brought to the NCB following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput to crack down on the narcotics trade in Mumbai.

Post-controversies, that began after he caught Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, in a drugs-on-cruise case, he and his family have been facing tough times due to the registration of various cases against him. The NCB later gave a clean chit to Aryan. Sameer Wankhede, too, has been denying the allegations leveled against him.

In a rare and candid interview, Kranti Redkar, who is an actor, director, and writer, speaks candidly about her husband, Sameer Wankhede, his fight, the tough times the family has had to endure of late, and how they are coping with the pressure.

Q. The last couple of years have been stressful for Sameer and you. How do you cope with the pressure?

A. I feel when you are doing something that is different in life and what you believe is right, the world will try to pull you down. But if you feel I must do this for society, and if you have decided something, you must stay with it and fight for it.

For me and Sameer, even earlier when he was in Customs, Service Tax, and NIA, he used to say I am trying to set the records straight here. He said I would go after big guys who violate the law and whom people are scared of and avoid taking action.

I was prepared for this. I won’t say it didn’t affect me, but it never affected me negatively.

We are very clear in our thought process. I have always compartmentalized my life, it is part and parcel of my life.

I was always working when his case was being heard in the court. I have to detach myself and focus on my work. I have learned to live with it.

Q. Did you at any point lose trust in yourself?

A. Never. Neither in me nor in Sameer. If Sameer was in any wrongdoing then I would have been scared and lost trust in myself. The person has won gallantry medals and earned accolades for doing his duty. But only in this one case, the hell broke loose, because he was dealing with somebody very powerful.

Q. After the allegations, what was the reaction of people in your close circle?

A. It is during hard times you get to know who the real friends are, who the real people are. You know these people will be there thick and thin. The people who won’t stand for you are insignificant to me.

Of course yes, the news articles and media trials were quite successful in putting things in people’s heads and diluting Sameer’s image.

But maximum Janata, and the people who are not credulous and are well read, they know about the truth. Some people came to me with tears in their eyes and said ‘You will get justice’. Many said that they light Diyas for us.

It is a fact that my core group has become smaller. But there are good times and bad times, friends. I like the bad weather friends. They were there during good times also. Now you understand who were the only merry-making friends.

Q. Despite so much pressure, Sameer and you are still working diligently to educate youths on the perils of drug abuse. How do you both manage to do this?

A. There are seven agencies after Sameer just for doing his duty. People are not asking the right questions. People are just going with what is written in the media.

The agencies are doing this based on a complaint from an ex-minister. The person who is ranting before the media, himself went behind bars.

Based on this, the agency is conducting the investigation. It was headed by an officer who had personal vengeance against Sameer. He can’t be investigating this because he was supervising the department when the case in question was made. He is trying to put pressure and pin Sameer down.

Sameer is being pressured in many ways. None of the press and media is asking on what basis the case of bribe was registered. Has anyone admitted before the agency that he or she had given the bribe? I am telling everyone, to learn the facts before forming an assumption.

It is said that Sameer catches only Bollywood people and celebrities but what about thousands of other cases he has worked on?

So just because people are trying to put him down, will he stop? No. Today he is not posted in NCB. We are educating youth on the perils of drug abuse. You see in videos, that people are zombies in the USA because of drugs. Here Sameer and I have taken a pledge for Drug Mukt Bharat.

Q. How do you keep your children away from the controversies?

A. They are not away from any controversy. But they do understand there are some problems Daddy is fighting. There are young reformed people who got into the military and became engineers, they came and touched Sameer’s feet. So our children understand their father is doing something good.

Forget home, if we are in any mall or public place, people come with tears in their eyes and say, ‘Jeet aapki hi hogi’ (you will win). The children don’t understand anything but say Daddy you will win.

Q. What do you like the most about Sameer?

A. He is extremely brave. If he had not been what he is, he would have been in jail. He is always four steps ahead of whoever is trying to pin him down.

He is extremely passionate about his work. He has tremendous knowledge of the law.

I am lucky to be part of the fight because I know this will be written in history.

Q. He has been known to be a no-nonsense officer throughout his career. Do you think that is responsible for the struggle he is facing now?

A. Yes. Because I always feel that he tried to go against the norms like ‘don’t catch big people’. He tried to go against the current and is facing what he is facing today.

Q. If, in the future, your children would want to be in the civil service, would you respect their decision?

A. I would respect every decision of theirs. We believe in empowering our children. If they read about this fight, they will know that there are only a few corrupt officers who are after Sameer, the rest of the officers respect him. They salute his gallant and bravery being officers themselves.

In the future, if they join civil services, they will be known as Sameer Wankhede’s daughters and they will strive hard to earn the same respect.

Q. If you get a wish, what would you like to change in your life?

A. I feel that all this is mastered and created by someone way bigger than us in the universe. We can’t challenge his vision. It prepares us for the future. This is the process of ‘heere ko tarashana’ (chisel the diamond) and Sameer is going to shine after the war is over. I would always like to respect the decision of the almighty.

These are the life lessons. The whole world knows who Sameer Wankhede is. How much the press tried to put him down, he was always shining.

People are so smart nowadays; they know Sameer is being framed.