News Analysis India

Tag: NCB

  • High Court seeks Nawab Malik’s response on defamation suit filed by NCB officer Sameer Wankhede’s father

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday directed Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik to submit an affidavit in response to a defamation suit filed by Dhyandev Wankhede, the father of Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede.

    A vacation bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar asked Malik to file his affidavit by Tuesday, and posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.

    “You (Malik) file your reply by tomorrow. If you can reply on Twitter, you can reply here also,” Justice Jamdar said, without passing any order restraining Malik from making any further statements against the plaintiff (Dhyandev Wankhede).

    Advocate Arshad Shaikh, appearing for Dhyandev Wankhede, told the court that everyday some false and defamatory statement is being made by the defendant (Malik) which then leads to further comments on social media that are further defamatory.

    “Just this morning, the defendant has posted a tweet about Sameer Wankhede’s sister-in-law,” Shaikh argued, adding that at least till the matter is heard, the court should either direct Malik or he should himself restrain from making any further statements.

    Malik’s advocate Atul Damle, while seeking time to file an affidavit to the suit, told the court that the plaintiff cannot speak on behalf of his adult children and also cannot attribute to Malik what other persons have commented on social media.

    Dhyandev Wankhede, in his suit, has sought damages to the tune of Rs 1.25 crore from Malik for allegedly making defamatory comments against his son Sameer Wankhede and family through press conferences and via social media.

    The suit has sought an order declaring Malik’s statements as defamatory in nature and a permanent injunction restraining the NCP leader from publishing or making statements before the media, including his social media accounts.

    The suit stated that the statements by Malik that Wankhede is a Muslim amounted to questioning the religious beliefs of the family by disputing that they are not Hindus.

    It claimed that Malik’s statements caused an irreparable loss, damage, harm, prejudice to the name, character, reputation and societal image of Wankhede and his family.

    The suit also sought directions to Malik to take back all defamatory statements made by him so far and also to delete all his tweets posted against the plaintiff and his family members.

    Sameer Wankhede had last month led a raid on a cruise ship and the NCB claimed to have seized drugs onboard.

    Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan and 19 others were later arrested in connection with the cruise drugs case.

    Malik has repeatedly termed the cruise drugs case as “fake” and levelled a string of allegations against the NCB officer.

  • Nawab Malik confirmed that MVA Ministers have links with drug mafias: Mohit Kamoj

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: After Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik accused Fashion TV head, Kashiff Khan of compelling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) minister Aslam Shaikh, to attend the Cordelia Cruise ship party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mohit Kamboj reiterated that his allegations of MVA ministers having links with ‘drugs mafias’ have proven to be true.

    “I have said earlier that a Minister who has relations with drug peddlers was involved in cruise party. Today Nawab Malik confirmed that Aslam Shaikh has relations with Kashiff Khan and also that children of NCP leaders, ministers are in contact with drug peddlers,” Kamboj said while addressing a press conference here yesterday.

    “He (Nawab Malik) has accepted everything that I had said. Earlier, he had spoken of a bearded man having connections with a minister. He himself revealed that Maharashtra Minister Aslam Shaikh has links with a bearded man (Kashiff Khan). He said that this bearded man constantly asked Aslam Shaikh to come to the party. I want to ask, what relations Aslam Shaikh have with this man who Malik had termed as the biggest kingpin of drugs?” asked Kamboj during a press conference.

    Kamboj added, “The relations of MVA Ministers are disclosing slowly with those whose names are associated with drugs mafias, dugs peddlers and drugs syndicate.”

    Malik had yesterday alleged that Kashiff Khan forced Aslam Shaikh to come to the Cordelia Cruise ship party and was also planning to bring children of various ministers to the party. He further said that Mohit Kamboj is the mastermind and partner of Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede in demanding ransom.

    Speaking to media persons, Kamboj denied having relations with Sameer Wankhede. “I have never in my life met Sameer Wankhede or any other NCB officer,” he said.

    Kamboj also claimed that Malik has accepted that he has relations with Sunil Patil. “He as accepted that Sunil Patil called him,” said the BJP leader.

    “Sunil Patil and Nawab Malik are friends for the last 20 years. When Sunil Patil used to do parties in Lalit hotel, Nawab also used to go there. Today Nawab Malik has confirmed his relations with him and it’s a conspiracy set up by NCP along with Sunil Patil,” he added.

    However, Malik had yesterday denied knowing Sunil Patil, one of the accused in the drugs on cruise case.

    An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on October 2. A total of 20 people, including two Nigerian nationals and Aryan Khan, have been arrested so far in the case.

  • Cruise drugs case: NCB quizzes Arbaaz Merchant, Achit Kumar; Mumbai cops grill Sunil Patil

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Delhi SIT of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Sunday questioned Arbaaz Merchant and Achit Kumar in connection with the drugs on cruise case for over nine hours, an official said.

    The duo was summoned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by senior officer Sanjay Kumar Singh, which was entrusted with the investigation of six cases, including the cruise drugs case involving Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan.

    Merchant and Kumar arrived at the NCB office in south Mumbai separately around 11:30 AM-12 noon.

    They were allowed to go after 9 PM, he said.

    Aryan Khan, however, failed to appear before the SIT citing fever, another official said.

    It is a routine procedure to summon the accused after a new investigation team takes charge, the official said.

    Merchant and Kumar, arrested last month, are currently out on bail.

    The NCB had arrested Aryan Khan and at least 19 others in the cruise drugs case last month.

    The anti-drug agency’s Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede has been facing a departmental vigilance probe after an independent witness, in this case, alleged an extortion bid by those involved in the investigation.

    Aryan Khan was released on bail on October 30.

    In its order, the high court had said that Aryan Khan, Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, his co-accused who were also released on bail, will have to surrender their passports before the NDPS court and shall not leave India without taking permission from the special court.

    Besides, they have to attend the NCB office each Friday between 11 am and 2 pm to mark their presence.

    Sunil Patil, whom former Mumbai BJP youth wing chief Mohit Bharatiya has accused of being the mastermind of the cruise drugs episode, appeared before the Mumbai Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Sunday evening to record his statement, an official said.

    Patil reached the Azad Maidan police station in a private cab and later went to the SIT office located in south Mumbai, he said.

    According to the official, Patil entered the SIT office around 6:15 PM.

    ACP Milind Khetle, who heads the SIT, will record Patil’s statement.

    The SIT was constituted by the Mumbai Police to probe allegations of extortion against Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials in connection with the alleged drug bust on board a cruise liner last month in which Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan is an accused.

    The SIT has already recorded the statement of NCB’s independent witness Prabhakar Sail, the official added.

    Sail had claimed that he had heard NCB witness K P Gosavi discussing a pay-off deal of Rs 25 crore after Aryan Khan was arrested by NCB in connection with the case.

    Gosavi was later arrested by the Pune Police in a cheating case.

    On Saturday, Bharatiya claimed that Patil, who hails from Dhule in north Maharashtra, is the mastermind of the entire cruise drugs episode.

    Bharatiya had also alleged that Patil was associated with many leaders of the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), including former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh.

    On Sunday, Patil denied the allegations that he was the “mastermind”.

    Speaking to a news channel, Patil claimed the tip-off about the cruise party was given to Manish Bhanushali, an NCB witness in the case, by Bhopal-based Neeraj Yadav, who he claimed is a BJP worker.

  • 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.

  • Sameer Wankhede’s father files defamation suit against Nawab Malik

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: Dnyandev Wankhede, the father of NCB Mumbai Zonal director Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation suit against Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik in the Bombay High Court on Sunday.

    Maharashtra minority affairs minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik have slammed Mohit Kamboj by calling him the mastermind and partner of Sameer Wankhede in demanding ransom.

    Earlier, Malik had alleged that Wankhede was born a Muslim but he forged documents, including a caste certificate, to pass off as a Scheduled Caste (SC) person to get recruitment under quota after clearing the UPSC exams.

    An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on October 2. A total of 20 people, including two Nigerian nationals and Aryan Khan, have been arrested so far in the case.

  • NCB’s Sameer Wankhede was part of plot to ‘kidnap’ Aryan Khan, claims Nawab Malik

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Sunday alleged that NCB’s Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede was part of a plot to “kidnap” Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

    Speaking to reporters here, Malik claimed BJP leader Mohit Bharatiya was the “mastermind” of the plot.

    He further claimed that Wankhede had met Bharatiya at a graveyard in suburban Oshiwara.

    Aryan Khan was last month arrested following a raid led by Wankhede on a cruise ship from which drugs were allegedly seized.

    Malik has repeatedly termed the cruise drugs bust case as “fake” and levelled a series allegations against Wankhede.

  • Drugs case: Aryan Khan was framed up in a pre-planned raid, claims witness

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A witness in the NCB’s alleged drug bust on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast on Saturday claimed that Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan had been “framed up” in the case.

    Aryan (23), who got bail from the high court after spending three weeks in prison following his arrest on October 3, was implicated by some people to make money, witness Vijay Pagare told Marathi news channels.

    It was a pre-planned raid, he alleged.

    Earlier, Prabhakar Sail, another independent witness used by the NCB, had alleged that some officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau had tried to extort money for letting off Aryan.

    The NCB has already launched an inquiry into the allegations.

  • Sameer Wankhede removed from Aryan Khan case probe, Delhi NCB’s SIT to take over

    By Online Desk

    The zonal director of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Sameer Wankhede, who is probing the Aryan Khan drugs case, has been removed from his role as the lead investigator.

    The development comes following allegations of Rs 8 crore payoff linked to the drugs-on-cruise case and extortion of Bollywood actors. Questions are also being raised over his “extravagant” lifestyle.

    Wankhede, however, downplayed the development saying that the move was in line with his demand for a central probe into the drugs-on-cruise case. “I had also filed a petition asking that either a central agency or the NCB’s Delhi unit should take over the probe into the Aryan Khan case and the Nawab Malik case,” he told a private news channel.

    “I’ve not been removed from the investigation. It was my writ petition in court that the matter be probed by a central agency. So Aryan case & Sameer Khan case are being probed by Delhi NCB’s SIT. It’s a coordination b/w NCB teams of Delhi & Mumbai,” NCB Zonal Dir Sameer Wankhede was quoted by news agency ANI as saying. 

    Apart from the drugs-on-cruise case, the NCB director-general has decided to transfer four other high-profile cases from the agency’s Mumbai zonal unit to its central team, according to sources. A special investigation team (SIT), led by senior police officer Sanjay Singh, will take over all the five cases which were being handled by Wankhede.

    On Monday, Wankhede had visited the NCB headquarters in Delhi and met his seniors. He was seen entering the NCB head office soon after he met National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) chairperson Vijay Sampla.

    NCB deputy director-general (northern region) Gyaneshwar Singh is conducting a departmental vigilance probe into allegations of extortion made in the drugs-on-cruise case in which Wankhede and his team had been arrested Aryan Khan and seven others on October 3 from the international cruise terminal in Mumbai.

  • Pune police lodges another case against NCB witness Kiran Gosavi for threatening victim

    By ANI

    PUNE: Pune Police on Saturday lodged one more case against Kiran Gosavi, an NCB witness in the drugs-on-cruise case, at Wanowarie Police Station for threatening victim and conspiracy related sections.

    The Pune City Police informed that Gosavi has been booked under sections 420, 409, 506(2), 120(b) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and arms act 3(b) for threatening victim and conspiracy related sections.

    This is the third case lodged against him.

    Kiran Gosavi is already in police custody till November 5 in a similar case registered with Faraskhana Police Station of Pune city.

    Earlier on Saturday, a fresh FIR was registered under sections 420, 465 and 468 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Lashkar Police Station on the basis of complaint given by three victims, who were cheated by Gosavi on the pretext of giving them jobs.

    He was earlier booked under sections 419, 420 of the IPC along with relevant sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act.

    Gosavi, arrested by Pune City Police on charges of cheating, has been sent to police custody for eight days by a city court.

    He was arrested from the Katraj area of the city in the early hours of October 28 in connection with a cheating case of Rs 18 lakh.

    He has also been booked by the Pune police at Kelwa Police station in Palghar for fraud on October 18 this year. As per the police, he had duped lakhs of rupees from people on the pretext of sending them abroad for jobs.