Aryan Khan Drug Case: CBI FIR Details ‘Conspiracy’ To Extort Rs 25 Cr, ‘Corrupt Practices’ Charge Against Sameer Wankhede

The CBI in its FIR on former NCB officer Sameer Wankhede stated how norms for independent witnesses were flouted which allowed KP Gosavi to enter into a conspiracy to extort Rs. 25 crores from family members of Aryan Khan

Sameer Wankhede, former Zonal Director of NCB’s Mumbai unit, is accused of 'criminal misconduct & corrupt practices", as mentioned in the CBI's FIR.

Source : PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in its FIR on former Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede stated allegations of “criminal misconduct and corrupt practices” levelled against him as the Zonal Director of NCB’s Mumbai unit during the investigation of the drugs-on-cruise case in which film actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested, but not named in the NCB chargesheet over lack of evidence. 

According to the CBI FIR registered on March 11, “presence of the independent witness Sh. KP Gosavi around accused persons was created intentionally in such a manner so as to give an impression that Sh. KP Gosavi was an NCB personnel even though there were NCB personnel to handle the custody of the accused persons.”

“The independent witness KP Gosavi was allowed to be present in the company of accused persons and even allowed to come to the NCB office after the raid which is against the norms for an independent witness. In this manner, K.P.Gosavi took the freedom and clicked selfies and recorded the voice note of an accused persons,” the report reads adding that Gosavi was allowed to be present in the company of accused persons and even allowed to come to the NCB office after the raid “which is against the norms for an independent witness.”

The CBI FIR mentioned that this position “allowed KP Gosavi and his aide Sanvile D'Souza amongst others to enter into the conspiracy to extort an amount of Rs. 25 crores from the family members of the alleged 'accused', Aryan Khan by threatening them of the accusation of offences of possession of Narcotics substances.”

“This amount was finally settled for Rs. 18 Crores. A token amount of Rs. 50 Lakhs as bribe money was also taken by KP Gosavi and his aide Sanvile D'Souza but later a part of this amount of Rs. 50 Lakhs bribe money was returned back by them,” the FIR stated.

It mentioned how Sameer Wankhede, in the capacity of the immediate supervisory officer had directed to take KP Gosavi and Prabhakar Sail as the independent witness in the proceedings against the accused and he directed to let KP Gosavi handle the accused while taking him to NCB Office “thereby allowing a freehand to Sh. KP Gosavi and others in order to create such a visual impression of KP Gosavi having the custody of the accused and escorting/dragging him towards NCB Mumbai office.”

Sameer Wankhede ‘Could Not Sufficiently Justify’ Acquired Assets, Foreign Visits: CBI FIR

In other serious allegations, the FIR stated how Sameer Wankhede “could not sufficiently justify” acquired assets as per declared income besides not being about to “properly explain” his foreign visits and “apparently mis-declared the expenditure.”

“It has also come to the notice of Vigilance Branch of NCB that Sh. Wankhede has not properly explained his foreign visits and had apparently mis-declared the expenditure on his foreign travels. He has also not declared the source of his foreign visits properly. It was also found that Sh. Sameer Wankhede has indulged himself in sale and purchase of expensive wrist watches with a private entity, Sh. Viral Rajan, without intimating the department (present or parent),” the FIR stated.

Cordelia Cruise Ship Drug Bust: Some Suspects ‘Allowed To Leave Without Documentation’, CBI FIR States

Regarding the facts of the drugs-on-cruise case, the FIR mentioned that the received “secret information” NCB Cordelia Cruise ship and Mr. Kiran Gosavi and Mr. Prabhakar Sail were taken as the independent witnesses.

“The search of many other persons whose names were available with the above mentioned NCB Officials, as suspected persons, was done but the same was not documented. A few persons who were suspect were also allowed to leave without any documentation,” the FIR mentioned.

Significantly, as per the CBI FIR, Siddarth Shah who had the alleged role in the supply of Charas to Arbaj A. Merchant “was also allowed to walk free by these officials of NCB Mumbai” even though “Shah had accepted that he got money from Arbaz to buy Charas for him and there were incriminating chats showing that he himself was consuming drugs.”

The details of FIR surface as the CBI conducted raids on the premises of Sameer Wankhede last week to probe the corruption case against him in connection with the drugs-on-cruise case.