NCB puts Sameer Wankhede's investigations under review after he seeks central team probe

In a fresh development, as the investigation into the Mumbai cruise ship drugs case continues, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has placed the cases being investigated by its Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede under review. As per sources, the NCB is mulling whether the cruise drugs bust case, in which Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan was arrested, should be handed to a Central team. 

This comes after a petition was filed by Sameer Wankhede himself before the Bombay High Court stating that the Aryan khan and Sameer Khan cases should be probed by the central team, even as Wankhede is investigated by a vigilance team of the NCB over the allegations made against him by Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik.

Sameer Wankhede has denied all allegations against him. However, Wankhede and others have not got any relief from court as yet. As per sources, a team of top NCB officials that is probing allegations on Sameer Wankhede will return to Mumbai next week to record statements of the remaining people. 

Aryan Khan appears before NCB in accordance with bail order

Aryan Khan, who was arrested with other accused on October 2 in the cruise drugs case, was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on October 29. He appeared before the NCB on Friday to mark his weekly presence before the anti-drug agency. The Bombay HC had issued a detailed order bail order wherein it mentioned that Aryan should appear before the NCB every Friday. In addition, he was also asked to surrender his passport.

Mumbai Cruise drug bust 

On October 2, the NCB had busted a high-profile drug party on Cordelia cruise ship en route from Mumbai to Goa and seized small amounts of Cocaine, Mephedrone, Charas, Hydroponic Weed, MDMA, and cash Rs. 1,33,000. Eight people - Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchantt, Munmun Dhamecha, Nupur Sarika, Ismeet Singh, Mohak Jaswal, Vikrant Chhoker, Gomit Chopra were arrested, while six others were let off by the NCB. As of date, 20 people have been arrested by the NCB based on nine independent witnesses including -  Manish Bhanushali and K.P Gosavi.

Allegations against Sameer Wankhede

An independent witness Prabhakar Sail had alleged that he heard about a ₹18 crore deal in a conversation between Gosavi and another person named Sam D'Souza. Of the ₹18 crore, ₹8 crore was to be given to Sameer Wankhede, Sail alleged. NCP leader and Maharastra Minister Nawab Malik has also made allegations in the drug bust case in which Aryan Khan and seven others were arrested, citing independent witnesses Manish Bhanushali and KP Gosavi's BJP links. The anti-drug agency has maintained that they did not know Bhanushali and Gosavi prior to October 2. Last week, independent witness KP Gosavi was arrested by Pune police based on intelligence inputs. Gosavi was booked in a 2018 cheating case registered in Pune city under IPC section 419, 420 and relevant sections of IT act. In 2019, Pune city police had declared him wanted in the case and he was missing since then only to resurface on October 2. Recently, a lookout order was issued against him and 4 police teams were on his tail. Gosavi, who had earlier offered to surrender to Uttar Pradesh police, was turned down citing jurisdiction issues.