Aryan Khan Clean Chit: Flaws in the Way Sameer Wankhede Handled Mumbai Cruise Drugs Case, NCB D-G Tells News18

After the Narcotics Control Bureau’s charge sheet gave a clean chit to actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan in the high-profile Mumbai cruise drugs case, NCB DG SN Pradhan told CNN-News18 that “initial investigation has found many flaws in the way then Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede handled the case”.

“We are shortly going to come up with the final report on Vigilance Enquiry on Wankhede. Initial investigation has found many flaws in the way he handled the case,” Pradhan told CNN-News18.

The vigilance team is also probing corruption angle and the details will shortly come out in the report, he added.

Wankhede has refused to comment on the development, saying he was ?not associated with the case?.

On November 5, 2021, the NCB removed Mumbai zonal unit Sameer Wankhede from the case and transferred the investigation to its operations unit based in Delhi. Wankhede was facing a departmental vigilance probe after an independent witness in the case claimed extortion bid by those involved.

The charge sheet filed on Friday said Aryan had not been found in possession of any narcotics. “Based on an input NCB Mumbai on 02.10.2021, intercepted Vikrant, Ishmeet, Arbaaz, Aryan and Gomit at International Port Terminal, MbPT and Nupur, Mohak and Munmun at the Cordelia Cruise. All the accused persons were found in possession of narcotics except Aryan and Mohak,? said a press release by the agency.

“Initially, the case was investigated by NCB Mumbai. Later an SIT from NCB (New Delhi), headed by Sanjay Kumar Singh, DDG (Ops), was constituted to investigate the case, which was taken over by the SIT on 6 November 2021. Based on the investigation carried out by SIT, a complaint against 14 persons under various sections of the NDPS Act is being filed. Complaint against rest six persons is not being filed due to lack of sufficient evidence,? the release said.

The NCB had busted a high-profile drug party on a Cordelia cruise liner en route from Mumbai to Goa on October 2 last year. Minor quantity of cocaine, mephedrone, charas, hydroponic weed, MDMA, and Rs 1,33,000 in cash were seized. The NCB apprehended eight persons, including Aryan, while letting six others go.

The number increased to 20 during the course of the investigations.

After spending more than three weeks at the central Mumbai facility following his arrest, Aryan was released on bond on October 30. Bail was granted on the condition that he report to the NCB on a weekly basis.

The condition was then changed, and he was instructed to appear before the investigating agency as and when summoned.

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