New Delhi: A special court in Mumbai on Monday said it cannot pass a comprehensive order barring courts from taking cognizance of the affidavit of an independent witness in the drugs-on-cruise case.
The affidavit pertains to allegations of attempted extortion against Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede and others, claiming that they had tried to extort money from actor Shah Rukh Khan, whose son Aryan was an accused in the case. Huh.
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NCB and Sameer Wankhede had filed two separate affidavits before the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) court earlier in the day.
In the affidavit, the anti-drug agency and Wankhede sought the court to pass an order stating that no court should take cognizance of the affidavit prepared by an independent witness, news agency PTI reported.
According to the NCB and its zonal director, the allegations of Prabhakar Cell were only an attempt to obstruct the investigation of the case and obstruct the investigation.
The central agency also sought the court to pass appropriate orders to ensure that there is no tampering of evidence or investigation in the case.
Special judge VV Patil, designated to hear cases related to Narcotics Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, while disposing of the affidavit said that such blanket orders cannot be passed.
Considering the nature of relief claimed in the applications (affidavits), no such comprehensive order can be passed. It is for the concerned court or authority at the concerned level to pass appropriate orders, as reported by PTI, the court said.
It further said that the matter was sub-judice before the Bombay High Court, which is scheduled to hear on Tuesday the bail applications filed by Aryan Khan (23) and his co-accused in the drugs case by Munmun Dhamecha.
Therefore, no such order can be passed as prayed by the court. Therefore, the applications are disposed of, the court ruled.
NCB Mumbai regional director Sameer Wankhede, in his affidavit submitted to the court, denied the allegation of payment, and claimed that he was under “covert threat of arrest” as it was under some vested interests to conduct an honest and fair investigation. do not conform.
As reported by PTI, the IRS officer further said that he was being personally targeted by a well-known political figure, and that the only reason he could fathom was that the NCB had named “this man’s son-in-law Sameer Khan”. was arrested.
Sameer Khan, who is currently out on bail, is the son-in-law of NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, who has been making several allegations against the NCB and its NCB Mumbai zonal director.
Prabhakar Cell’s charge
In a statement to the media, Prabhakar Cell on Sunday claimed that Rs 25 crore was demanded by other persons, including an NCB official and absconding witness KP Gosavi, to release Aryan Khan in the case.
Prabhakar Cell claimed that it had heard Gosavi telling Sam D’Souza over the phone, when Aryan Khan was brought to the NCB office after the October 2 raid on the cruise ship, about a demand of Rs 25 crore and “Rs. But to settle” 18 crores because they have to give 8 crores to Sameer Wankhede.
The independent witness in the drugs-on-cruise episode further said that he would soon release evidence to support his claim.
The NCB and Wankhede in their affidavits filed in the NDPS court on Monday refuted these claims.
Aryan Khan and a few others were arrested on October 3 after an NCB team led by Wankhede had allegedly seized drugs on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast earlier this month.
He is currently lodged in Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail in judicial custody. He had approached the high court after the special NDPS court had denied him bail last week.
(with agency input)
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