Narcotics Control Bureau (NCBOpposing the bail plea, had said Aryan may affect the testing process.
Aryan, who was arrested earlier this month in the Mumbai cruise drugs seizure case, had moved the High Court last week after a special Mumbai court denied him bail.
Meanwhile, NCP leader Nawab Malik today leveled another allegation against NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, later accused of illegally tapping his phone.
Here are the major developments so far…
‘No intake, seizure of drugs from Aryan Khan’
Former Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Aryan Khan in his bail plea, told the court that nothing has been recovered from his client, no medical treatment has been done to ascertain whether he has Have taken any medicine and “no recovery, no consumption”.
He told the court that Aryan Khan “had no case of possession of drugs” against Aryan Khan and that he was wrongly arrested. “It was a suitable case for bail”, he said. Rohatgi said that six grams of charas was recovered from accused number 2 (Arbaaz Merchant) and Aryan had nothing to do with him except when he reached there.
NCB team to leave for Mumbai to investigate allegations against Sameer Wankhede
A five-member team of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will travel from Delhi to Mumbai tomorrow to probe the corruption allegations leveled against its officer Sameer Wankhede.
Prabhakar cell, which is an ‘independent witness’, has claimed that Rs 25 crore was demanded by an NCB official and absconding witness KP Gosavi among others, to release Aryan Khan, son of the Bollywood superstar. Shah Rukh Khan, who were arrested in this case.
‘Aryan involved in illegal drug smuggling’
Strongly opposing Aryan Khan’s bail application, the anti-drug agency said the 23-year-old was not only a consumer of drugs but was also involved in illegal smuggling.
The agency also claimed that a woman named Pooja Dadlani, manager of Aryan Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, was tampering with evidence and witnesses in an attempt to derail the investigation.
Aryan Khan’s advocates, on the other hand, submitted an additional note to the HC, stating that he had nothing to do with the allegations and counter allegations being circulated between NCB Zonal Director Samir Wankhede and some political figures.
He was referring to the allegation of extortion leveled by Prabhakar Cell, the bodyguard of NCB witness Kiran Gosavi. SAIL alleged that NCB officials including Wankhede had tried to extort Shahrukh Khan. The agency has denied the allegation.
Mukul Rohatgi represents Aryan in HC
Former Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi is representing Aryan in the High Court.
According to a statement by Karanjawala & Co, Mukul Rohatgi along with his Karanjawala & Co team has traveled to Bombay along with senior partners Ruby Singh Ahuja and Sandeep Kapoor to join Aryan Khan’s legal team.
The team already has senior advocates Amit Desai, Satish Manshinde, Anandini Fernandes along with advocates Rustom Mulla, Desai Desai Carimji and Mulla.
Malik Vs Wankhede Tej
Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Tuesday accused NCB official Sameer Wankhede of illegal phone tapping and announced that he would hand over a letter to the agency chief on the officer’s “misconduct”.
Malik, who targeted Wankhede after his son-in-law’s arrest, said, “Sameer Wankhede is illegally intercepting mobile phones of some people through two people in Mumbai and Thane.”
Malik also claimed that Wankhede had sought the call detail record (CDR) of his family member from the police.
The NCP minister said the NCB should probe 26 allegations in the letter, which claimed that an “extortion racket” was being run within the anti-drug agency.
Will take action: DDG Jain of NCB on Malik’s allegations
In the wake of a letter tweeted by Malik, NCB Deputy Director General Mutha Ashok Jain on Tuesday said that they will take necessary action in the matter.
Asked about the letter, Jain told reporters outside that he “has received a paper on WhatsApp” and that he will take “necessary action”.
Wankhede visited Delhi Headquarters
Meanwhile, Sameer Wankhede visited the agency’s headquarters in the national capital on Tuesday.
The officer entered the NCB headquarters in RK Puram area through the back entrance and is expected to meet senior officials.
Earlier, Wankhede had said that he has not been called by NCB and is in Delhi for some other work.
‘BJP acts as if it owns central investigative agencies’
The Shiv Sena on Tuesday said the BJP works like central investigative agencies, but it should not forget that in a democracy, bosses change.
An editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said that the allegations of demanding Rs 25 crore in the drugs case are only the tip of the iceberg. “Owners and their employees should be mindful of the consequences,” it said.
The question is not of actor Shah Rukh Khan or his son, but of the character and integrity of the central investigative agencies. Who will find out where Kiran Gosavi, the witness in the case (NCB) is hiding? Said it.
Gosavi is yet to be traced
Meanwhile, KP Gosavi, facing fraud in Pune, was missing after his pictures and videos with Aryan Khan went viral on social media after the NCB raided the cruise ship off Mumbai coast earlier this month.
On Monday, Gosavi refuted the extortion claims made by his colleague and another witness in the case Prabhakar Cell and said that he would surrender before the Lucknow police soon.
The NCB has ordered a vigilance inquiry into the claims made by SAIL about an extortion bid of Rs 25 crore by some agency officials, including the Mumbai zonal director. Sameer Wankhede, and others to leave Aryan Khan.
The three ruling parties in Maharashtra – Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress – have repeatedly claimed that central agencies are being used to target opposition parties.
Leaked WhatsApp chat reveals discussion of ‘cocaine’
Earlier, screenshots of Aryan’s alleged WhatsApp chat had surfaced in which the actor’s son was discussing a “cocaine scheme” with two others.
In the chat, he also jokingly threatened his friends with NCB to take action against him. Apart from this, he was also talking about buying drugs and had placed a bulk order of Rs 80,000 for weed.
The authenticity of the chat could not be independently verified.
midnight drama in lucknow
Earlier today, Lucknow saw high drama around midnight, when Mumbai’s private detective Gosavi announced that he would surrender “any moment:” at the Mandiyan police station.
Gosavi said he wanted to surrender before the Uttar Pradesh Police as he felt “threatened” in Maharashtra.
But the expected drama ended in an anti-climax when Gosavi failed to show up and Lucknow Police Commissioner DK Thakur said that Gosavi could not surrender in the city “as the police station has no jurisdiction to take any action against him”.
(with inputs from agencies)
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