Mumbai Cruise Raid: Nawab Malik Continues To Target NCB Over Sameer Wankhede’s Statement

A controversy ensued over the Mumbai cruise raid as the Maharashtra Cabinet Minister alleged it to be a “forgery”, and claimed that BJP misused NCB to frame Aryan Khan. 

File Photo

New Delhi: Nawab Malik, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), on Thursday continued to level allegations over the Narcotics Control Bureau’s raid on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast this week.

In a tweet, he pointed to senior NCB officer Sameer Wankhede’s statement, speculating if the agency had an intention “to frame 2 more people”.

Tweeting a video, Nawab Malik wrote: “Sameer Wankhede’s statement where he said 8 to 10 people have been arrested by the NCB, while 8 people were arrested. Why was he not sure about the number of arrests? Did they have an intention to frame 2 more people?”.

Sameer Wankhede's statement where he said 8 to 10 people have been arrested by the NCB, while 8 people were arrested.

Why was he not sure about the number of arrests?

Did they have an intention to frame 2 more people? pic.twitter.com/28A8uoXUui

— Nawab Malik نواب ملک नवाब मलिक (@nawabmalikncp) October 7, 2021

In prior tweets, he had targetted the NCB raid over the involvement of a BJP worker and a private investigator, tweeting videos of them entering and exiting the NCB office “the same night the cruise ship was raided”.

Here’s the video of Kiran P Gosavi and Manish Bhanushali entering the NCB office the same night the cruise ship was raided. pic.twitter.com/25yl9YsrSJ

— Nawab Malik نواب ملک नवाब मलिक (@nawabmalikncp) October 6, 2021

Another video footage of Kiran P Gosavi and Manish Bhanushali leaving the NCB office. pic.twitter.com/9VxnSNgTxK

— Nawab Malik نواب ملک नवाब मलिक (@nawabmalikncp) October 6, 2021

The tweets come after Bharatiya Janata Party worker Manish Bhanushali on Wednesday accepted that he was the one seen escorting Arbaz Merchant out of the International Cruise Terminal, as claimed by Nawab Malik.

However, he contended that he holds no official position in the party. 

Manish Bhanushali claimed that Nawab Malik's son-in-law was arrested by the central agency in a drug case recently, which is why he is trying to do politics over it. 

“I agree that I am the one in the photos shown, but no other party worker or leader can be spotted. I do not have any responsibility in the party presently, my responsibility is that of a common man,” he said, as quoted by news agency ANI. 

Refuting any connection of the saffron party with the arrests, Bhanushali said, “BJP has nothing to do with it (the arrests). I received information on October 1 that a drugs party was to be held. I was with NCB officers (at the ship) for updated information”. 

“I don't have any official position in BJP. I gave this information as being an active citizen of the country,” he added.

A controversy ensued over the Mumbai cruise raid as the Maharashtra Cabinet Minister alleged it to be a “forgery”, and claimed that BJP misused NCB to frame Aryan Khan. 

He also claimed that “not even a single gram of drug was seized on the cruise or at the terminal”.

Terming the allegations as baseless, NCB Deputy Director-General Gyaneshwar Singh on Wednesday said: “Our procedure has been and will continue to be professionally and legally transparent and unbiased”.

“Some allegations levelled against the organisation (NCB) are baseless and seem to have been with malice and probable prejudice that may have been harboured in retaliation against earlier legal action carried out by NCB," he added, as quoted by ANI.