News Analysis India

Tag: NCB

  • Cruise drugs case: NDPS court grants bail to seven more accused

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A special court here on Saturday granted bail to alleged drug peddler Aachit Kumar and six others arrested in a drugs seizure case, in which Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan is one of the accused.

    Special court judge V V Patil, hearing cases related to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, granted bail to the seven accused.

    With this, 12 of the 20 arrested accused have got bail in the high-profile case so far.

    Earlier, the NDPS court had denied bail to Aryan Khan.

    However, the Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to him and his two co-accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha.

    The NCB had claimed that it had arrested Aachit Kumar based on the statements of Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant.

    The agency has alleged that he used to supply drugs to Aryan Khan.

    The other accused whose bail pleas were allowed by the special court on Saturday are Nupur Satija, Gomit Chopra, Gopalji Anand, Samir Sehgal, Manav Singhal and Bhaskar Arora.

    The court’s detailed bail order is yet to be made available.

    On October 26, the special court had granted bail to two other accused in the case – Manish Rajgaria and Avin Sahu.

    They were the first ones to get bail in this case.

    On October 2, the NCB had raided the cruise ship and claimed to have seized banned drugs.

    Earlier on Saturday, Aryan Khan walked out of the Arthur Road jail in central Mumbai, where he was lodged for the last 22 days following his arrest in the case.

  • BJP plans to defame Bollywood and move it to Uttar Pradesh: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik alleged that the BJP has a larger conspiracy to defame Bollywood and Mumbai and later move the industry to Noida where Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath proposed to set up a film city.

    Attacking the BJP, the NCP leader said that the saffron party is using central agencies like Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and its zonal director Sameer Wankhede to defame and destroy the industry by levelling flimsy charges against Bollywood personalities along with harassing and forcing them to move out of Mumbai.

    ALSO READ| Will expose nexus between Wankhede and some BJP leaders: Nawab Malik

    “Bollywood is mini India where in people  from all parts of the country and globe happily stay and work. Mumbai has given name and fame to many hardworking and smart people irrespective of their religion and caste. The film industry has spread Indian culture across the globe and generated jobs for locals and outsiders. The BJP could not digest the glory and success of Mumbai and hence, are constantly attacking the city and its people,” Malik said adding that the BJP will not succeed in its malafide game plan.

    Malik said that the person who was arrested on fraudulent charges by Wankhede got bail and the person who was seen dragging Aryan Khan is now in jail for the cheating case. “The man who was threatening people for putting them in jail is now running for bail. The situation has changed and we call it Karma. Many more things will come out in public limelight against Sameer Wankhede and NCB,” the NCP leader said.

    Nawab Malik also levelled serious charges against Wankhede that he did not allow other honest officers of the NCB to conduct raids and take action against Kashif Khan, head of Fashion TV (India) who runs a drug and sex racket.

    “Kashif Khan is very close to Sameer Wankhede and hence, the latter will never take actions against Mr Khan. However, situations are slowly changing and we will expose all those who are a part of Wankhede’s extortion gang,” Malik said.

    ALSO READ| ‘Absolutely a lie’: Sameer Wankhede on Nawab Malik’s allegation

    Wankhede denied all allegations and said that these are lies being spread against him while his wife Kranti Redkar said that they will not speak on this issue now and will fight in court.

    Thank you @nawabmalikncp for taking a stand against the engineered campaign of hate towards the Hindi film Industry. It makes us feel less orphaned. Bollywood & Bombay/Mumbai are Intrinsically linked.This is the city of dreams after all & has sustained millions over the years.  https://t.co/seMh3WFRJE
    — Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) October 29, 2021
    Meanwhile, reacting to the minister’s remarks, actor Pooja Bhatt tweeted “Thank you, Nawab Malik, for taking a stand against the engineered campaign of hate towards the Hindi film Industry. It makes us feel less orphaned. Bollywood & Bombay/Mumbai are intrinsically linked. This is the city of dreams after all and has sustained millions over the years.”

  • ‘Rs 1 lakh personal bond, surrender passport’:  HC imposes 14 conditions for Aryan Khan’s bail

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A day after granting bail to Aryan Khan, son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, arrested in the drugs-on-cruise case, the Bombay High Court on Friday made available its operative order in which it imposed 14 bail conditions on him, paving the way for his release from jail.

    In the five-page order, the high court said that Aryan Khan and his two co-accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, who were also granted bail, shall be released on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each with one or two sureties of the same amount.

    As per the conditions set by the high court, the trio will have to surrender their passports before the special NDPS court and shall not leave India without taking permission from the special court, and that they will have to attend the NCB office each Friday to mark their presence.

    A copy of the operative order was signed by Justice N W Sambre on Friday afternoon.

    This may help Aryan Khan’s advocates secure his release from the Arthur Road prison in central Mumbai by evening.

    The single bench of Justice Sambre had on Thursday granted bail to Aryan Khan, 25 days after he was arrested during a drug raid on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.

    The court had said it would give its order on the conditions of bail and surety amount on Friday.

    A certified copy of the operative part of the HC order would be now taken by Aryan Khan’s lawyers to the special court, designated to hear cases related to the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) along with the requisite documents and sureties.

    The special court, after verification, will issue release papers which would then be submitted to the jail for their release.

    The same conditions shall apply to Merchant and Dhamecha.

    The court said if the trio violate any of the conditions imposed then the NCB shall “straightaway apply to the special judge/court for cancellation of their bail.”

    “Each of the applicants/accused shall execute a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with one or more sureties in the like amount,” the order said.

    The court said the accused shall not personally or through anyone make any attempt to influence witnesses or tamper with the evidence.

    The high court directed the trio to surrender their passports before the special NDPS court and shall not leave India without taking permission from the special court.

    The accused should give prior intimation to the NCB before leaving Mumbai and shall provide with their itinerary.

    It added that Aryan Khan, Merchant and Dhamecha shall not indulge in any activity similar to the activities on the basis of which the present case stands registered against them for offences under the NDPS Act.

    The HC further said the trio shall not establish any contact with any of the co-accused in the case or anyone involved in similar activities.

    The trio would have to attend the NCB office each Friday between 11 am and 2 pm to mark their presence.

    The high court shall attend all dates before the trial court and also join the investigation as and when called by the NCB.

    “Once the trial begins, the applicants/accused shall not in any manner try to delay the trial,” the court said.

    While Aryan Khan and Merchant are lodged at the Arthur Road prison, Dhamecha is at the Byculla women’s prison.

    Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3 and booked under relevant sections of the NDPS Act for possession, consumption, sale/purchase of banned drugs and conspiracy and abetment.

    The judge will give a detailed order with reasons next week.

  • Aryan Khan to spend one more night behind bars; jail official says papers did not reach in time

    By Online Desk

    Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, who was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in a drugs case on Thursday, will not be released from jail on Friday. He will be released on Saturday morning, according to Arthur Road Jail officials.

    “We won’t give special treatment for anyone. The law is the same for all. The deadline for receiving the bail papers was 5. 30 pm. That has passed. He won’t be released today,” an official told PTI.

    The assertion by the prison official came even as there were indications from Aryan’s legal team that a “slight postponement till 7 pm” was possible.

    ALSO READ | ‘Rs 1 lakh personal bond, surrender passport’:  HC imposes 14 conditions for Aryan Khan’s bail

    “A physical copy of the release order has to be put into the bail box outside Arthur Road Jail for the release. The jail officials wait until 5.35 pm for this”, Nitin Waychal, Arthur Road Jail Superintendent, said

    Aryan Khan’s bail | A physical copy of the release order has to be put into the bail box outside Arthur Road Jail for the release. The jail officials wait until 5.35 pm for this: Nitin Waychal, Arthur Road Jail Superintendent pic.twitter.com/bV3fz9N7LD
    — ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2021
    While granting Aryan bail on Thursday in the drugs-on-cruise case, the Bombay High Court imposed 14 bail conditions on him, paving the way for his release from jail.

    In the five-page order, the high court said that Aryan Khan and and his two co-accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, who were also granted bail, shall be released on a personal bond of Rs one lakh each with one or two sureties of the same amount.

    The court has accepted Juhi Chawla, a co-star of SRK in many films, as the surety in Aryan’s bail and she signed the relevant papers and executed the bail bond before the court officials, said Aryan Khan’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde.

    Maneshinde said the Bombay High Court will send the orders directly to the jail after the court formalities are completed.

    Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan had reportedly left in a small motorcade along with aides and security personnel to pick up son Aryan from the jail.

    Justice NW Sambre granted bail to Aryan and two others – Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha – on Thursday evening, but the bail orders were received only on Friday, paving the way for the trio to return home.

    Soon after the bail verdict was pronounced Thursday, SRK reportedly shed tears of joy, and later met his entire legal defence team which had been fighting for Aryan’s release for the past four weeks.

    The happy-go-lucky Aryan – who left home on October 2 for a fun-filled Mumbai-Goa cruise voyage, totally oblivious of what was in store – was suddenly detained after the NCB swoop, arrested the following day, and has been in custody since then – making it a total of 28 days that he slept away from his ‘Mannat’ bedroom.

    (With agency inputs)

  • Will give 3-day notice to Sameer Wankhede before arrest: Mumbai Police to Bombay HC

    By Express News Service

    MUMBAI: The city police on Thursday assured the Bombay High Court that it will not arrest the NCB’s zonal director Sameer Wankhede without giving him three days’ notice.

    The assurance came after Wankhede moved the court seeking protection. Wankhede filed a plea seeking an urgent hearing. He said he feared that police would arrest him over allegations of extortion against him in the case related to drugs-on-cruise involving actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan.

    His lawyer and senior advocate Atul Nanda mentioned the petition before a bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and S V Kotwal, seeking interim protection from arrest. Wankhede was a senior officer of the Narcotics Control Bureau and not a “drug peddler”, the lawyer said.

    ALSO READ | Mumbai police set up team for inquiry into ‘extortion bid’ in Aryan case

    Besides a direction to police not to arrest him, the petition sought that the allegations against him be probed by an independent agency such as the CBI or NIA.

    Wankhede feared that the Mumbai police’s probe against him was likely to be biassed and unfair, it said. He was a “decorated officer” of the NCB who was being subjected to “public vilification” following Aryan Khan’s arrest, the petition said.

    Prabhakar Sail, the personal bodyguard of now a key witness in the Aryan Khan case Kiran Gosavi, in his affidavit alleged that Wankhede and his associates had demanded Rs 25 crore from actor Shahrukh Khan to release his son Aryan. He and another witness Shekhar Kamble also alleged that Sameer Wankhede had taken their signature on ten blank pages and made them witnesses.

    Meanwhile, state minister Nawab Malik asked why Wankhede does not trust the Mumbai Police? “When he was arresting and harassing people on false charges, he was enjoying the limelight. Now, he is running pillar to post to save himself. We will expose him,” Malik said. He tweeted: “Picture (movie) Abhi Baki hai dost.”

    Nawab Malik claimed that the wedding of Sameer and Shabhana was done according to Islamic rituals and posted their nikah-nama on social media to substantiate his claim that Wankhede concealed his Muslim identity and forged documents to claim SC quota for the job.

    ALSO READ | Aryan Khan gets bail in drugs-on-cruise case, to be freed on Friday

    Earlier in the day, Sameer Wankhde’s wife Kranti Redkar wrote a letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray that as they are a Marathi family, the Shiv Sena should protect them from personal attacks. She referred to Thackeray as a brother, reminded him of the Balasaheb Thackeray’s days of protecting Marathi Manoos, and said they expected the same from his son.

    Meanwhile, Sameer Wankhde’s first father-in-law Zaheed Quraishi said they always knew the Wankhede family as followers of Islam. “In 2006, when Sameer and Shabana got married, Sameer was a practising Muslim. He would also occasionally visit mosques,” Quraishi said.

    “In fact, I always knew Dnyandev as Dawood Wankhede. We agreed to the wedding of my daughter Shabana with Sameer because we had cordial relations with his late mother Zaheeda,” Dr Qureshi said, adding that the marriage between Sameer and Shabana was an arranged one and it did not last long as the duo got divorced in the same month.

    Quraishi further said since the controversy over Sameer Wankhede’s religion, he was being questioned by people about how he allowed his daughter to marry a Hindu. “It became an issue of prestige for me and my family. Hence, I am making it clear that when the marriage between my daughter Shabana and Sameer took place, the groom was practising Islam. His father’s name was Dawood,” he said.

  • Aryan Khan case witness, wanted in 2018 cheating case, arrested in Pune

    By Express News Service

    MUMBAI: Pune Police on Thursday arrested Kiran Gosavi, an independent witness of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the drugs-on-cruise case, in connection with a 2018 cheating case registered against him here, a senior official said.

    Gosavi’s selfie and videos with Aryan Khan had gone viral on social media after the NCB’s raid on the cruise ship off the Mumbai coast on October 2. Later, Pune police issued a lookout circular against him on October 14 in 2018 cheating case.

    Gosavi had been moving to various locations in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana while on the run. The accused was later produced in a Pune court which sent him to police custody for eight days.

    Pune police commissioner Amitabh Gupta said as Gosavi’s selfie went viral, it helped the cops to trace his locations before the arrest. “Gosavi did not surrender but was arrested by Pune crime branch in a cheating case of 2018. There are other cases against him as well. It took us 10 days to nab him. He was on run and moved from place to place in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.

    Prabhakar Sail, the personal bodyguard of Gosavi, had earlier alleged that the latter took Rs 50 lakh from an individual after the raid at the cruise ship. He also said that Sameer Wankhede and his close associates had demanded Rs 25 crore from Shah Rukh Khan to release his son Aryan. Gosavi, however, had denied the allegations.

    The Pune police said on Thursday that there is no demand to hand over Gosavi to the Mumbai Police or any other agencies, including the NCB. Elaborating on the matter, Gupta said, “Kiran Gosavi was using ‘Sachin Patil’ as the alias to stay in hotels at various places. He used to tell people that he runs an NGO or a businessman into export and imports, etc,” he added.

    Before his arrest, Gosavi had shared his video message saying: “Prabhakar Sail is lying. All I want to request is that his CDR report be released. If my CDR report or chats can be released, CDR reports and chats of Sail and his brother should also be released. Only then everything will be clear.”

    Gosavi further said, “At least one minister or a leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra must stand with me”, adding that the politician(s) could “at least request the Mumbai Police to make public what I am demanding” (the CDR and chats of Prabhakar Sail).

  • Key witness in Aryan Khan case Kiran Gosavi sent to 8-day police custody

    By Express News Service

    MUMBAI: A Pune court on Thursday sent the key witness in the Aryan Khan case Kiran Gosavi to 8-day police custody after he was arrested in connection with a 2018 cheating case registered against him in the city.

    Gosavi’s selfie and videos with Aryan Khan had gone viral on social media after the NCB’s raid on the cruise ship off the Mumbai coast on October 2. Later, Pune police issued a lookout circular against him on October 14 in 2018 cheating case.

    Gosavi had been moving to various locations in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana while on the run.

    ALSO READ | Aryan Khan gets bail in drugs-on-cruise case, to be freed on Friday

    Pune police commissioner Amitabh Gupta said as Gosavi’s selfie went viral, it helped the cops to trace his locations before the arrest. “Gosavi did not surrender but was arrested by Pune crime branch in a cheating case of 2018. There are other cases against him as well. It took us 10 days to nab him. He was on run and moved from place to place in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.

    Prabhakar Sail, the personal bodyguard of Gosavi, had earlier alleged that the latter took Rs 50 lakh from an individual after the raid at the cruise ship. He also said that Sameer Wankhede and his close associates had demanded Rs 25 crore from Shah Rukh Khan to release his son Aryan. Gosavi, however, had denied the allegations.

    ALSO READ | Mumbai police set up team for inquiry into ‘extortion bid’ in Aryan case

    The Pune police said on Thursday that there is no demand to hand over Gosavi to the Mumbai Police or any other agencies, including the NCB. Elaborating on the matter, Gupta said, “Kiran Gosavi was using ‘Sachin Patil’ as the alias to stay in hotels at various places. He used to tell people that he runs an NGO or a businessman into export and imports, etc,” he added.

    Before his arrest, Gosavi had shared his video message saying: “Prabhakar Sail is lying. All I want to request is that his CDR report be released. If my CDR report or chats can be released, CDR reports and chats of Sail and his brother should also be released. Only then everything will be clear.”

    Gosavi further said, “At least one minister or a leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra must stand with me”, adding that the politician(s) could “at least request the Mumbai Police to make public what I am demanding” (the CDR and chats of Prabhakar Sail).

  • 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.

  • Sameer Wankhede’s sister files police complaint against Minister Nawab Malik for alleged defamation

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Yasmeen Wankhede, the sister of Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, has filed a police complaint here seeking registration of an FIR against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik for allegedly defaming her, an official said on Thursday.

    Sameer 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.

    The officer is facing the departmental vigilance probe.

    In her two-page complaint submitted to the Oshiwara police here, Yasmeen Wankhede claimed her family was being targeted on social media and that Malik had also called their family trip to Maldives as a “vasooli (extortion) trip”, the official said.

    She alleged that Malik was trying to defame her and her family members.

    ALSO READ | More trouble brewing for Sameer Wankhede? Another drug case witness alleges being forced to sign blank pages

    She also claimed that she was being stalked online and the minister was illegally distributing to media persons her personal photographs posted on her social media handles like Instagram and Facebook, according to the complaint filed recently.

    An official from the Oshiwara police station said they received a written complaint from Yasmeen Wankhede last week, but no FIR has been registered so far.

    Yasmeen Wankhede also filed a complaint with the National Commission for Women (NCW) and requested it to direct the police to register a case for the alleged offences of stalking, defamation, criminal intimidation and insulting a woman’s modesty, as well as relevant sections of the Information Technology Act for violating her privacy and under sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

    Malik has repeatedly termed the cruise drugs case as “fake” and levelled a string of allegations against Sameer Wankhede, including illegal phone tapping and forging documents to secure job.

    The NCB official has denied any wrongdoing.

  • More trouble brewing for Sameer Wankhede? Another drug case witness alleges being forced to sign blank pages

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI:  There is more trouble in store for Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede. One more witness Shekhar Kamble on Wednesday alleged that the NCB had made him sign blank papers as a witness earlier this year. Meanwhile, Bombay High court adjourned Aryan Khan’s bail hearing till Thursday.

    A day earlier, Prabhakar Sail made a shocking revelation about him being forced to sign on blank papers as a witness. It was also alleged that a demand was made to Shah Rukh Khan to pay off Rs 25 crore. Kamble, a Navi Mumbai resident who is a witness in a drug bust case being probed by the NCB in August this year, claimed that the NCB had taken his signature on blank papers and later filled it up without informing him about the contents.

    Kamble said Sail’s recent interview with the media-inspired him to speak up and “reveal the truth”. He said, “Yesterday night when I got a call from an NCB staffer, he said even he hadn’t read the  letter. When I told him I was made to sign blank papers just like Sail, he asked me not to talk about it but just come to the NCB office.”

    ALSO READ | Drugs fiasco: After Sameer Wankhede, NCP targets vigilance chief probing NCB official

    Kamble alleged that during the raid in Navi Mumbai, the main drug peddlers ran away, so the NCB couldn’t nab them. “But they caught two people who had no drugs. However, NCB director Wankhede showed 60 gm drug on paper. I couldn’t do anything. Like Sail I was also insisted to sign on the blank paper as a witness,” Kamble added.

    In his reaction, Wankhede said, “Hostile. I’ll comment in court. The matter is subjudice.” On Wednesday, NCP minister Nawab Malik shared the Nikah Nama – marriage certificate of Sameer Wankhede with Dr Shabana Khureshi — where Wankhede name was mentioned as Sameer Dawood Wankhede. “The marriage between Wankhede and Dr Shabana Khureshi had taken place in 2006 as per Islamic law and Rs 30,000 was given as Mehar as per Islamic law,” Malik said.

    Qazi – the Muslim priest — said that the marriage was solemnised as per Islamic law. “I was told that all Wankhede family members were Muslim including bride and bridegroom and their parents. The marriage took place in front of more than 2,000 people. How come they deny this public domain fact,” Qazi asked.