The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), on Monday, ordered a vigilance probe against its Mumbai unit zonal director Sameer Wankhede after a witness alleged that he aimed to extort money to the tune of Rs 8 crore in order to release Aryan Khan in the cruise ship drug bust case, ANI reported.
A three-member team of the agency will be reaching Mumbai on Tuesday to probe the allegations levelled against Wankhede, the officer leading investigations in the cruise ship case. The team will comprise Gyaneshwar Singh, NCB’s DDG (Deputy Director General), and 2 inspector level officers, NCB sources told ANI.
“The Chief Vigilance Officer will be dealing with enquiry appropriately. The enquiry has just begun, not right to comment on any officer, ” Gyaneshwar Singh told media persons.
Wankhede will arrive in Delhi on Monday for a review meeting.
What Are The Allegations Against Wankhede?
On Sunday, Prabhakar Sail, an independent witness in the case who claimed to be the personal bodyguard of Kiran Gosavi, the private investigator who was seen in the viral selfie with Aryan Khan at the NCB office, had alleged that Gosavi had discussed monetary pay-offs to be paid to Wankhede in a telephonic conversation.
In his affidavit, he further said that he was forced to sign around 10 blank papers as an inependent witness at the NCB office in Mumbai. He said that he overheard a conversation of a Rs 18 crore deal between Gosavi and one Sam D’Souza on 3 October, of which Rs 8 Crore was allegedly to be paid to Wankhede. Sail also said that Gosavi, D’Souza, and Pooja Dadlani, actor Shah Rukh Khan‘s manager, had a 15-minute meeting inside a car on the evening of the raid.
How Has the NCB responded?
While Wankhede has denied all the allegations made against him in the affidavit, NCB Deputy Director-General informed through a press release that the document has been forwarded to the NCB Director General for “further necessary action”.
The NCB, in an application filed at the Special NDPS court at Mumbai, requested that no cognisance of Sail’s affidavit “be taken or the same perused in any manner except in the form or manner” directed by the court. The court however, on Monday, denied relief to NCB and said: “no blanket orders can be passed”. The Court noted that matter is sub-judice before the Bombay High Court and the authority must approach the concerned forum, Live Law reported.
Wankhede has also submitted an affidavit raising a grievance against the ‘personal allegations’ raised against him.
Wankhede, in his affidavit, said “Why are there allegations against my family members? Is it. Because of my supervisory position? Is it only to divert me and make me fail in court,” Wankhede asked the Court, further stating that he is ready to go through “any kind of investigation or inquiry”.
The Case So Far
Aryan Khan (23) was arrested on October 3 by the NCB during a cruise ship drug raid based on a tip-off. The agency allegedly seized 13 gm of cocaine, 21 gm of charas or hashish, 22 pills of MDMA (ecstasy), 5 gm mephedrone, and cash worth Rs 1.33 lakh, and Khan was taken into NCB custody, along with a few others, including his friend Arbaaz Merchant and fashion designer Munmun Dhamecha.
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The NCB has argued that as per recorded statements, although Aryan Khan was not in possession of any contraband, he admitted to having knowledge of charas hidden in his friend Arbaaz Merchant’s shoe. A Mumbai court ruled that this amounted to ‘conscious possession’ of contraband.
The NCB has also argued that there was evidence against Khan in the form of “incriminating” WhatsApp chats that indicated consumption of drugs as well as the purchase of larger quantities. Lawyers, however told Silverscreen India that the WhatsApp chats, cited as one of the main arguments of the NCB in the case, can be a weak basis for withholding bail.
Khan’s bail plea has been rejected twice and he is currently at Arthur Road Jail. His bail plea will be heard by the Bombay High Court on Tuesday.