The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has ordered a vigilance probe against zonal director Sameer Wankhede in connection to the bribery allegations posed by independent witness Prabhakar Sail. Prabhakar has also submitted that NCB officers made him sign on 10 sheets of blank paper on the day of their raid on the cruise ship.
As per the reports, a three-member team of the anti-drug agency will reach Mumbai on Tuesday to investigate the allegations. The inquiry will be headed by Gyaneshwar Singh, the NCB deputy director general (DDG) and Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of the federal anti-narcotics agency.
“We have received the affidavit and a report from our DDG (northwest) based in Mumbai and the NCB director general has taken cognizance of this report. He has marked it to the vigilance section for inquiry. We are a professional organisation and we are open for inquiry against any allegation against our staffers. The inquiry will be transparent and fair,” said Gyaneshwar Singh.
Another Twist In Aryan Khan Drug Case After Witness Turned Hostile
Prabhakar Sail, a witness in the alleged drug case involving Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, has made some shocking revelations. He was earlier an NCB witness but he introduced some other twist to the case on Sunday.
On Sunday, Sail alleged that he was made to sign10 sheets of blank paper by the NCB officials on the day of their raid on the cruise ship.
He had also claimed that K P Gosavi, the alleged private investigator who accompanied NCB officials on the raid and is absconding, say that Rs 8 crore would have to be given to the NCB’s Mumbai-based Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede.
Prabhakar Sail, an Andheri resident who used to offer personal bodyguard services, was employed by Gosavi on July 22. He was allegedly asked to come to the NCB office on October 2.
Sail stated,
“Gosavi was with NCB officials at the time, and had asked him to wait in the waiting area at Green Gate, the cruise terminal in Mumbai.
At about 1.23 pm Kiran Gosavi sent some photographs on my WhatsApp and told me to keep a watch and identify the people in the photographs and to further inform him that if any of the said persons are coming to board the cruise through Green Gate. Accordingly, I was waiting.
I identified one person from the said photograph and informed him (Gosavi) that he was boarded bus no. 2700 on WhatsApp. On 4.23 [pm] he replied to me that the said person who I identified is caught and that 13 people are arrested.
I was then called by Gosavi, and saw Aryan Khan in one of the cabins of the ship, and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha with NCB officials. Aryan was taken to the NCB office, and I went along,”
As per Sail’s statement, he was standing outside the NCB office when Gosavi rang him and asked him to come inside and become a panch in the case. He was asked to sign on blank sheets.
He further stated,
“At around 1 am (on October 3) I received a call from K P Gosavi instructing me that I should sign as a pancha and called me to the NCB office. I reached there and [NCB Zonal Director] Sameer Wankhede instructed the staff to take my signature and name. One Salerkar from NCB told me to sign on 10 blank papers.
Gosavi then came out of the NCB office, and proceeded to discuss matters related to money with a man named Sam D’Souza.
Till such time we reached Lower Parel K P Gosavi was talking to Sam on the phone and stated that you put a bomb of 25 crores and let’s settle at 18 final because we have to give 8 crores to Sameer Wankhede.
Gosavi asked me to go to Tardeo traffic signal in south Mumbai and collect Rs 50 lakh. I reached around 9.45 am at the said place where one white colour car no. 5102 came and gave me 2 bags filled with cash which I took to Vashi at his (Gosavi’s) home and gave it to Kiran Gosavi.
Gosavi later instructed me to give the money to Sam D’Souza, which I did near the Trident Hotel.
K P Gosavi is missing now and I now fear that NCB officials and other persons involved may kill me or abduct me like K P Gosavi. As seen in the big cases, witnesses often are killed or taken away and I therefore want to state the truth.”
Prabhakar, who is one of the NCB’s nine independent witnesses in the case, also released a video on Sunday that purportedly showed Aryan in custody, with Gosavi apparently making him speak to someone on a mobile phone.
“As he is a witness in the case and as the case is before the honorable court and sub judice, he needs to submit his prayer to the honorable court rather than through social media if he has anything to say. In addition, there are certain vigilance-related allegations against certain persons in the affidavit which are based on overhearing Mr Prabhakar,” said Mutha Ashok Jain, NCB’s deputy director general in Mumbai.
“Our zonal director, Mumbai Zonal Unit, Mr Sameer Wankhede, has categorically denied these allegations. As some of the contents of the affidavit are related to vigilance matters, I am hereby forwarding the affidavit to the Director General Narcotics Control Bureau and requesting him for further necessary action,” added Jain.
In connection to the bribery allegations, Wankhede filed an affidavit in the NDPS Court stating that he is under a ‘lurking threat of arrest’ due to malafide intent. He urged the court to take cognizance of the pressure exerted on officers in the sub-judice matter. He sought protection against legal action over that fear that he would be “framed with ulterior motives”.
Controversy Over Wankhede’s Family History
Nawab Malik has been posing serious allegations against the NCB official from the very beginning of the case and alleged that Wankhede has been doing this on the behest of BJP to defame Bollywood.
“I would like to express that my father Sh Dnyandev Kachruji Wankhede retired as Senior Police Inspector of State Excise Department, Pune on 30.06.2007. My father is a Hindu and my mother Late Mrs Zaheeda was a Muslim. I belong to a composite, multi-religious and secular family in true Indian tradition and I am proud of my heritage,” Sameer Wankhede said in a press release.
As per the UPSC records, Wankhede’s details include his name as Sameer Dnyandev Wankhede while Wankhede’s name appeared as Sameer Dawood Wankhede in the certificate shared by Nawab Malik.
Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik shared the birth certificate of Sameer Wankhede with the caption “Sameer Dawood Wankhede’s forgery starts here”.
Sameer Dawood Wankhede का यहां से शुरू हुआ फर्जीवाड़ा pic.twitter.com/rjdOkPs4T6
— Nawab Malik نواب ملک नवाब मलिक (@nawabmalikncp) October 25, 2021
“The publishing of my personal documents on Twitter is defamatory in nature and unnecessary invasion of my family privacy. It is intended to malign me, my family, my father and my late mother,” stated Wankhede.
