Now, NCB's Sameer Wankhede faces the heat in Aryan Khan case

The Mumbai cruise drugs case has now taken multiple new turns. On October 24, Prabhakar Sail (bodyguard of KP Gosavi, the man in the viral selfie with Aryan Khan) alleged that NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede had demanded Rs 25 crore through KP Gosavi for Aryan Khan’s release from Arthur Road jail in Mumbai. Gosavi is also one of the witnesses in the case. Sail has alleged that he was made to sign a blank panchnama.

Gosavi, meanwhile, has exclusively told India Today that he signed the panchnama after reading it and denied possessing any knowledge of Sail’s allegation. Gosavi also says that he has not been in contact with Sail since October 11. 

Sail has claimed in a notarised affidavit that he saw a person named Sam meet Gosavi near the NCB office. Sam drove to Lower Parel, where another blue coloured car joined them. Sail states that he saw Shah Rukh Khan's manager, Pooja Dadlani in it. 

SAIL'S ALLEGATION:

1. Gosavi and Sam demanded Rs 25 crore from Dadlani but agreed to settle on Rs 18 crore.
2. Gosavi claimed that Rs 8 crore out of the Rs 18 crore would go to Wankhede, and the rest would be distributed amongst the others.
3. Sail was sent to collect an amount of Rs 50 lakh from a white car, the next morning, at Tardeo. 
4. Sail was sent by Gosavi to return the amount to Sam, who was at Trident Hotel.
5. Sam objected, saying that the amount was reduced by Rs 12 lakh; since it was only Rs 38 lakh.
6. After speaking to Gosavi, Sail said he would return it in the next two to three days. 

Sameer Wankhede has denied Sail’s allegations and has written a letter to the Mumbai Police Commissioner, seeking protection from "precipitate legal action". The NCB and Wankhede have filed two affidavits in court. Wankhede’s affidavit is to request the court to take cognisance of the “attempts to threaten him and hamper the investigation”. The NCB's affidavit talks about witnesses turning hostile and influence being used by some people to tamper the probe. Wankhede is set to visit the NCB headquaters in Delhi on October 26. 

REACTION FROM SHIV SENA: On Sunday, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut shared a video of Aryan Khan in custody. KP Gosavi, in the video, can be seen holding a phone on speaker mode and making Aryan Khan speak to someone. Gosavi has clarified to India Today that Aryan had requested to speak to his parents and Shah Rukh's manager. Sanjay Raut tweeted," Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that these cases are made to defame Maharashtra. This seems to be coming true." 

Witnes in #AryanKhan case made to sign on blank paper by NCB is shocking. Also thr r reports that thr ws demnd of huge money .CM UddhavThackeray said tht ths cases r made 2 defame Mah'shtra.Ths seems 2b comng tru @Dwalsepatil Police shd tk suo moto cognizance@CMOMaharashtra pic.twitter.com/zipBcZiRSm

— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) October 24, 2021

THE O: Multiple developments have occurred in the Mumbai cruise drugs case, particularly involving Sameer Wankhede. Is the NCB Zonal Director and NCB's face of the Mumbai cruise drug bust guilty of extorting money? He has denied the allegations. A team from Delhi will now go to Mumbai to probe the allegations against Wankhede.