News Analysis India

Tag: cruise ship drugs case

  • Drugs-on-cruise case: Seizure not conducted by authorised officer, court says while giving bail

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The alleged seizure of narcotic drugs from Nupur Satija, an accused in the drugs-on-cruise case, was “illegal” as it wasn’t conducted by an authorized woman officer, a special NDPS Act court has said while granting her bail.

    The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had arrested 20 persons including actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan after raiding a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast on October 2. Aryan got bail three weeks later.

    Satija, a co-accused, was granted bail on October 30, but the detailed order became available on Saturday.

    The prosecution had claimed that four pills of `Ecstasy’ were recovered from her possession.

    Her lawyers claimed that an authorised woman officer, as mandated by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, was not present during the seizure.

    Special judge V V Patil said a female `panch’ witness had searched the accused, but “admittedly, there was no lady officer present and no panchanama was carried out by person authorised for that purpose”.

    “Therefore there is a breach of a provision the NDPS Act,” the judge said, adding that she was entitled to bail on the ground of illegal seizure.

    On the prosecution’s claim of conspiracy, the court said considering the material placed on record it cannot be said that prima-facie there was conspiracy and abetment, as alleged.

    The WhatsApp chats produced by the NCB were regarding “only consumption of contraband and not regarding sale, purchase or for any other use of contraband,” the court said.

  • NCB team probing extortion claims in Aryan case records statements over dozen witnesses

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Special Enquiry Team (SET) of the NCB which is probing allegations of extortion attempts in the drugs case involving actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan has recorded statements of over a dozen persons so far, a senior official said on Friday.

    Deputy Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau Gyaneshwar Singh, who is heading the vigilance inquiry, said the team was satisfied with the pace and direction of the probe.

    “We have recorded statements of 14-15 people. We are trying to complete it as early as possible, but we are waiting for some important witnesses to join the probe,” he told reporters here.

    The team has recorded statements of witness Prabhakar Sail and NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede, among others.

    Sail, who claimed to be the bodyguard of NCB witness K P Gosavi, alleged in an affidavit last month that he had heard Gosavi discussing a Rs 25 crore pay-off deal after Aryan Khan was arrested during a raid on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.

    He also claimed that Gosavi had said Rs 8 crore of the deal money was to be given to Wankhede. The officer has denied the allegation.

    “We can’t give any timeline for concluding the probe, because certain things are beyond us. Let people join the investigation,” Singh said.

    The SET will examine Gosavi after he is sent in judicial custody and an application in this regard will be heard by the court on Monday, he said.

    Gosavi is currently in Pune cantonment police’s custody in a cheating case.

    Asked if the team will also record statements of Aryan and (Shah Rukh Khan’s manager) Puja Dadlani, Singh said it will speak to all people who are important for the inquiry.

    As to his meeting with Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale, he said the latter promised to cooperate in the case.

    “We have received some CCTV footage. We are waiting for some more,” he added.

  • Sameer Wankhede’s wife, father meet governor Koshyari, submit complaint against Malik

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede’s wife Kranti Redkar and father Dnyandev Wankhede on Tuesday met Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and submitted a complaint against state minister Nawab Malik.

    Speaking to reporters afterwards, Redkar, a former actor, said, “I met governor Koshyari with my father-in-law Dnyandev Wankhede and sister-in-law Yasmeen Wankhede.

    “We submitted a complaint about minister Nawab Malik’s constant attacks on us,” she said.

    They were “humble people” but “family reputation is at stake due to constant attacks,” she added.

    Asked about Koshyari’s response, Redkar said, “He asked us to observe restraint and have patience, saying that truth shall prevail. We got a lot of positivity after meeting him.”

    Malik, the state minority development minister, has levelled several allegations against Sameer Wankhede following the Narcotics Control Bureau’s alleged drug bust on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast during which actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan was arrested.

    The NCP leader alleged that Wankhede forged his birth certificate to get government job in the Scheduled Castes quota and concealed that he was born into a Muslim family.

    Malik also accused him of running an extortion racket by falsely implicating people in drug cases.

    Wankhede has denied all charges.

    His father has also filed a defamation case against Malik in the Bombay High Court.

  • Cruise drugs case: NCB vigilance team summonses independent witness Prabhakar Sail on Monday

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Delhi vigilance team, probing the pay-off allegations in the Cordelia cruise drugs case in which Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan is an accused, has summoned independent witness Prabhakar Sail on Monday for recording his statement, an official said on Sunday.

    He said the NCB issued summons to Sail on Sunday.

    He has been directed to appear before the vigilance team at 2 PM on Monday.

    The official said the vigilance team comprising seven officers will reach Mumbai on Monday morning from Delhi.

    The team will record the statement of Sail at the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) mess in suburban Bandra.

    Sail, who claims to be the bodyguard of NCB witness K P Gosavi, had last month claimed in an affidavit that he had heard Gosavi discussing a Rs 25 crore pay-off deal after Aryan Khan was arrested by the NCB.

    Sail claimed that Gosavi had said that Rs 8 crore of the deal money was to be given to NCB Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede.

    Sail’s allegations had prompted the NCB to order a vigilance inquiry against NCB officials and others. Wankhede had denied the allegations against him.

    Last month, the vigilance team, headed by NCB Deputy Director General (northern region) Gyaneshwar Singh, had come to Mumbai to probe the allegations of extortion but failed to record Sail’s statement. Singh is also the chief vigilance officer (CVO) of the federal anti-narcotics agency.

    Before leaving for Delhi, the team had recorded statements of eight persons, including Wankhede, and collected some important documents and recordings related to the cruise drugs case, an official had said.

    Meanwhile, the Delhi NCB SIT, which recently took over the investigation into the cruise drugs case, visited the Cordelia cruise ship where the party was organised on October 2.

    The cruise ship is docked at the Mumbai cruise terminal.

    The SIT is headed by the senior IPS officer and DDG Operations at NCB headquarters, Sanjay Singh.

  • Cruise drugs case: NCB vigilance team summons independent witness Prabhakar Sail on Monday

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Delhi vigilance team, probing the pay-off allegations in the Cordelia cruise drugs case in which Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan is an accused, has summoned independent witness Prabhakar Sail on Monday for recording his statement, an official said on Sunday.

    He said the NCB issued summons to Sail on Sunday.

    He has been directed to appear before the vigilance team at 2 PM on Monday.

    The official said the vigilance team comprising seven officers will reach Mumbai on Monday morning from Delhi.

    The team will record the statement of Sail at the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) mess in suburban Bandra.

    Sail, who claims to be the bodyguard of NCB witness K P Gosavi, had last month claimed in an affidavit that he had heard Gosavi discussing a Rs 25 crore pay-off deal after Aryan Khan was arrested by the NCB.

    Sail claimed that Gosavi had said that Rs 8 crore of the deal money was to be given to NCB Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede.

    Sail’s allegations had prompted the NCB to order a vigilance inquiry against NCB officials and others. Wankhede had denied the allegations against him.

    Last month, the vigilance team, headed by NCB Deputy Director General (northern region) Gyaneshwar Singh, had come to Mumbai to probe the allegations of extortion but failed to record Sail’s statement. Singh is also the chief vigilance officer (CVO) of the federal anti-narcotics agency.

    Before leaving for Delhi, the team had recorded statements of eight persons, including Wankhede, and collected some important documents and recordings related to the cruise drugs case, an official had said.

    Meanwhile, the Delhi NCB SIT, which recently took over the investigation into the cruise drugs case, visited the Cordelia cruise ship where the party was organised on October 2.

    The cruise ship is docked at the Mumbai cruise terminal.

    The SIT is headed by the senior IPS officer and DDG Operations at NCB headquarters, Sanjay Singh.

  • NCB team probing allegations against officials in Aryan case to return to Mumbai next week

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A Special Enquiry Team (SET) formed to look into allegations of extortion attempt against NCB officials in connection with the drugs-on-cruise ship case will return to Mumbai on Monday, said an official.

    The five-member SET, headed by NCB Deputy Director General Gyaneshwar Singh, was formed to conduct inquiry into allegations made by independent witness Prabhakar Sail and others.

    It had left Mumbai before Diwali after failing to record Sail’s statement.

    Sail has leveled allegations against Narcotics Control Bureau officials including its zonal director Sameer Wankhede, claiming that there was an attempt to extort money for letting off Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, in the case.

    Aryan (23) got bail recently after being arrested during the NCB’s alleged drug bust on a cruise ship on October 2.

    The SET will return to Mumbai on Monday and will resume the inquiry, said the official.

    It will record statements of everyone who is named in an affidavit filed by Sail, he said.

    “First we want to record Sail’s statement because he is a crucial witness,” the official added.

    When asked if Shah Rukh Khan’s manager Pooja Dadlani’s statement will be recorded, the official said whoever was connected to the case will be questioned.

    Dadlani had been allegedly contacted by some persons involved in the attempt to extort money after Aryan was apprehended.

    The SET had stayed in the city from October 27 to 30 and recorded statements of eight persons including Wankhede, but could not contact Sail.

    It had also asked for help from Mumbai police who are conducting a separate probe in the extortion allegation and who had recorded Sail’s statement.

  • Cruise drugs case: Arbaaz Merchant released from jail 

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Arbaaz Merchant, who was arrested by the NCB in the cruise drugs case on October 3, was released from the Arthur Road prison in central Mumbai on Sunday, October 31, 2021, three days after he was granted bail by the Bombay High Court.

    The high court had on Thursday allowed the bail plea of Merchant along with that of Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha, who were also arrested in the same case by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

    While Aryan Khan was released from the Arthur Road jail on October 30, Dhamecha walked out of the Byculla women’s jail here around 11 am on October 31.

    Merchant was released from jail later in the day after completion of all the legal formalities.

    Talking to reporters outside the jail, his father Aslam Merchant said, “Strict conditions have been set by the high court while granting bail to him. But being an advocate, I will ensure that these conditions are complied with. We like to follow the rules and regulations…He will not do anything that may go against him.”

    On Friday afternoon, the high court had made available its operative order in which it imposed 14 bail conditions on Aryan Khan, Merchant and Dhamecha, stipulating their release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each with one or two sureties of the same amount.

    In the five-page order, the high court said the trio will have to surrender their passports before the NDPS court and shall not leave India without taking permission from the special court.

    They will also have to attend the NCB office each Friday between 11 am and 2 pm to mark their presence.

    A special court in Mumbai had on Saturday granted bail to alleged drug peddler Aachit Kumar and eight others, who were arrested by the NCB following the raid on the cruise ship.

    Of the 20 persons arrested by the NCB after the raid, as many as 14 have got bail so far.

  • Picture not over yet, says Nawab Malik targeting Wankhede after HC grants bail to Aryan Khan

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: After the Bombay High Court granted bail to Aryan Khan, son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, in the cruise drugs case, Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik on Thursday continued to target NCB’s zonal director Sameer Wankhede, saying the picture is not over yet.

    Tweeting in Hindi, Malik said, “Picture abhi baaki hai (The picture is not over yet).”

    The HC granted bail to Aryan Khan and his two co-accused over three weeks after their arrest by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

    Aryan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were arrested by the anti-drugs agency on October 3 and booked under relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) for possession, consumption, sale/purchase of banned drugs, conspiracy and abetment.

    Malik, the state minority affairs minister, has repeatedly termed the cruise drugs case as “fake” and levelled various allegations against Wankhede, including illegal phone tapping and using forged documents to secure job.

    In a video message circulated to media on Thursday, Malik said, “The officer (Wankhede) who arrested Aryan Khan and others has now approached the Bombay High Court requesting a restraining order against Mumbai police from arresting him. He had approached Mumbai police in the last week requesting protection. He must have done something really wrong and that is why he is afraid of action against him.”

    “The Mumbai police have informed the Bombay High Court that they would issue a notice of his arrest 72 hours prior if they intend to take any such action. I reiterate my earlier comments that this drug case is completely bogus. The kids were deliberately framed in this case,” Malik said.

    “If the case comes before the Bombay High Court, it will get squashed,” the minister added.

    Two other persons arrested in the case were granted bail a day before by the NDPS court, Malik said, alleging that all the arrested persons were eligible to get bail in this case, but the NCB prosecutor was making fresh claims in the case to delay the bail.

    Wankhede filed a petition in the high court and sought an urgent hearing, saying he feared arrest by police over allegations of extortion against him in the case related to alleged drug bust on a cruise ship.

    But the Mumbai Police assured the HC that it will not arrest Wankhede without giving him three days’ notice.

    Earlier, the NCP leader had levelled various allegations against Wankhede, including illegal phone tapping and use of forged documents to secure job.

  • NCB being used to ‘defame, harass’ people: Maha minister Jayant Patil

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister and NCP state chief Jayant Patil on Thursday claimed that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) was being used to “harass and defame” citizens.

    Speaking to reporters in Ratnagiri, he also said that party leader and state minister Nawab Malik, who has levelled various allegations against NCB’s Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, was “bringing out the truth”.

    Wankhede is in the eye of a political storm following allegations of extortion in the high-profile cruise drugs case in which actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested earlier this month.

    The officer is facing the departmental vigilance probe.

    “The NCB is being used for defaming, harassing and putting people behind bars for a longer period. This has happened with Aryan Khan and many others. It has to be probed thoroughly,” Patil said.

    He said state minister Nawab Malik has made certain claims (against NCB officials) which can be substantiated with documents.

    “Sameer Wankhede is facing an inquiry before senior NCB officials, who have come to Mumbai for an investigation.

    The certificates provided by him, how he joined the IRS and got quota benefits—all will come out in the coming days.

    I hope the committee (NCB vigilance probe team) has not come here to cover up his mess,” the state water resources minister said.

    To a question on Malik’s allegations against Wankhede, Patil said the minority affairs minister was “bringing out the truth”.

    “The central agencies are making mistakes and diverting attention as well. These agencies are being used to harass common citizens,” he claimed.

    Malik has repeatedly termed the cruise drugs case as “fake” and levelled various allegations against Wankhede, including illegal phone tapping and using forged documents to secure job.

    Wankhede has refuted the allegations and denied any wrongdoing.

  • Cruise drugs case: NCB vigilance probe team recording Wankhede’s statement over extortion allegations

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The NCB’s Deputy Director General (DDG)-northern region, Gyaneshwar Singh, on Wednesday said they have started recording the statement of the agency’s Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede in connection with the departmental vigilance probe into allegations of extortion in the drugs-on-cruise case.

    A five-member vigilance probe team, which landed in Mumbai in the morning, has started its probe and collected some documents and recordings from the Narcotic Control Bureau’s (NCB) office at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai, DDG Singh, who is heading the departmental vigilance probe into allegations of extortion, told media persons.

    “All the material witnesses in the probe will be called to record their statements, I will not take name of any individual,” Singh said.

    However, to queries from reporters, the official later said, “The statement of Wankhede is being recorded.

    “It is a sensitive inquiry and it is not possible to share real-time information related to the probe, and we will not be able to share all the details.”

    “We have started our investigation and are calling witnesses to record their statements,” Singh told reporters at the NCB’s Mumbai zonal office.

    “We will definitely speak to Wankhede in connection with the inquiry and others also,” he added.

    Asked if Wankhede will continue to probe the cruise drugs seizure case, Singh said he will not make any comments related to the investigation in that case as he is not directly connected to it.

    The official said he is in Mumbai for a vigilance inquiry.

    The NCB has ordered a vigilance inquiry into the claims made by a witness, Prabhakar Sail, in the cruise drugs case of an extortion bid of Rs 25 crore by some agency officials, including its Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, to let off Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

    The inquiry is being conducted by Gyaneshwar Singh, who is also the chief vigilance officer of the federal anti-narcotics agency.

    A large number of media persons were present outside the NCB’s office when Singh arrived.

    Wankhede, who is leading the probe in the cruise drugs case, visited the NCB’s headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday and spent over two hours.

    Sources earlier said the inquiry will also look at the aspect of K P Gosavi, another NCB independent witness in the case, being in close proximity of Aryan Khan after the raids, and the procedures followed by the sleuths while entrusting custody of all the accused arrested on October 3 from the international cruise terminal in Mumbai.

    Photos and videos of Gosavi with Aryan Khan have gone viral on social media and other news platforms.

    The role of all the officers and witnesses involved in the case will be probed and it will be recorded if they followed the NCB manual and procedures mentioned in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act during such operations, they said.

    Wankhede on Sunday wrote to Mumbai Police commissioner Hemant Nagrale, seeking protection from likely legal action “being planned” against him by unknown persons to falsely frame him concerning an alleged vigilance-related issue.

    On Monday, he failed to get any relief related to an affidavit on the sensational extortion claims made by Sail, with a special court saying it cannot pass a blanket order barring courts from taking cognisance of the document.