Express News Service
MUMBAI: A startling revelation of an alleged bribery attempt was made on Sunday by a key witness in the cruise ship drugs case involving Aryan Khan.
Prabhakar Raghoji Sail, an independent witness of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), claimed that a Rs 25 crore pay-off was demanded by NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede and others from Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan to release his son Aryan Khan.
However, a senior NCB official denied the allegations, terming them as “completely false and malicious”.
Prabhakar Sail released a video message and a notarized affidavit claiming that after the detention of Aryan Khan, he overheard a phone call made to Shah Rukh Khan’s manager by KP Gosavi and Sam D’Souza at Lower Parel who demanded Rs 25 crore to release Aryan Khan. Sail is also the personal bodyguard of KP Gosavi, one of the independent witnesses whose selfie with Aryan Khan had gone viral.
Sail in his affidavit claimed that Gosavi demanded Rs 25 crore but finally settled at Rs 18 crore to ensure Aryan Khan’s release.
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“Out of the total Rs 18 crores, Rs 8 crore was meant for Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede while the balance amount was to be shared among them. The meeting took place at Lower Parel where Shahrukh Khan’s manager came in blue Mercedes to meet them. But there was no positive response from Shah Rukh Khan’s manager,” Sail said in the affidavit.
Sail revealed that while making the witnesses in this case, Sameer Wankhede took his sign on 8 to ten blank papers.
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“I was hesitant to sign on blank paper but they insisted and told me that nothing will happen. They also took my Aadhaar card and I was made the witness number one in Aryan Khan’s case. My boss KP Gosavi was also a witness in this case. Before the cruise party raid, KP Gosavi visited Ahmedabad, and next night he came and called him at NCB for this operations,” Sail added.
He said that after coming to know that his boss KP Gosavi has gone missing, he also now fears for his life. He claimed that there is a threat to his life from NCB officer Sameer Wankhede.
“My family members are terrified and they are afraid that someone may kill me. Therefore, I decided to release the video and sign the affidavit. If something happens to my life, then NCB officials and others should be held responsible,” Sail demanded.
Sail said that Gosavi got Rs 50 lakh in some cases to release a suspect. Out of this amount, Rs 38 lakh was given to Sam D’Souza while the rest Gosavi took.
In Aryan Khan case also, since the ransom amount was not paid, he was not released after his arrest.
The NCB, while stating that Wankhede has categorically denied the allegations, also said that as the matter is sub judice, Sail should have submitted his prayer to the court if he had anything to say.
Mumbai NCB’s Deputy Director General (DDG) Mutha Ashok Jain issued a statement saying that he came to know through social media that Sail is a witness in the case.
“As he (Sail) is a witness in the case and the case is before the honourable court and is sub judice, he needs to submit his prayer to the court rather than through social media if he has anything to say,” the statement said.
In addition, there are certain vigilance-related allegations against certain persons in the affidavit, which are based on overhearing by Prabhakar Sail, it said.
“Zonal Director of Mumbai NCB Sameer Wankhede has categorically denied these allegations.
As some of the contents of the affidavit are related to vigilance matter, we are hereby forwarding the affidavit to the Director General (DG) NCB and requesting him for further necessary action,” the statement added.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut commented on the new developments.
“Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray rightly said that the drug cases are made up to malign the image of Mumbai and Maharashtra therefore he demands the high-level inquiry in this entire case,” Raut said.
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— Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) October 24, 2021
(With inputs from PTI)
