Cordelia drugs bust case: CBI questions former NCB intelligence officer

Ashish Ranjan Prasad, who is currently an inspector with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), is learnt to have claimed that he is not the one who had roped in a co-accused, KP Gosavi, as a case witness and he had not dealt with him prior to the day the alleged bust took place on October 2, 2021

MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently recorded the statement of Ashish Ranjan Prasad, former intelligence officer of Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Mumbai zonal unit, who has been booked along with four others for allegedly conspiring to extort ₹25 crore from actor Shah Rukh Khan in lieu of not booking his son, Aryan, in the October 2021 Cordelia cruise drugs bust case.

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According to CBI sources, Prasad denied any association with the alleged corruption and attempted extortion and is learnt to have stated that he had carried out his official work as per his superiors’ instructions.

Prasad, who is currently an inspector with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), is learnt to have claimed that he is not the one who had roped in a co-accused, KP Gosavi, as a case witness and he had not dealt with him prior to the day the alleged bust took place on October 2, 2021. Prasad also claimed that he had approached his then superiors, including co-accused and former NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede, about Gosavi’s status and approval for keeping him as witness, the sources said.

On the other hand, Wankhede, who has also been questioned by the CBI on seven occasions, had categorically denied any prior association with Gosavi.

Sources said that Wankhede told the CBI that he had first met Gosavi only on October 2 at around 9.30am at the time the preparations for the NCB’s operation was underway. The agency has also sought the version of a private individual, who had allegedly referred Gosavi and another private suspect to the NCB.

The CBI case was registered against Wankhede, Vishwa Vijay Singh, then NCB superintendent, Prasad as well as individuals namely KP Gosavi, Sanville D’Souza and unknown persons.

Dismissing the charges, Wankhede had earlier said the CBI action was the result of a “vendetta” on the part of a few NCB officials.

Apart from Prasad, the CBI recently questioned Gosavi about his alleged role in the case. The CBI’s case is based on the revelations made by Gosavi’s driver Prabhakar Sail. In an affidavit, Sail had alleged that he had overheard telephonic conversations between Gosavi and D’Souza, discussing a ₹25-crore deal to let off Aryan. Sail died of a heart attack in April 2022.

The May 11 CBI FIR is based on the findings of NCB’s Special Enquiry Team (SET), which was formed under the chairmanship of Gyaneshwar Singh, on October 25, 2021, around three weeks after the alleged drug bust.

It was alleged by the NCB that there were procedural lapses in the custody of the accused persons. The SET alleged that the probability cannot be denied that the custody of Aryan was compromised in an intentional manner to give an opportunity to Gosavi. Aryan was arrested but given a clean chit in May 2022.

Quoting the SET findings, the CBI FIR said, “It was also found that Wankhede had indulged himself in the sale and purchase of expensive wrist watches with a private entity, Viral Rajan, without intimating the department (present or parent).” The SET also alleged that Rajan had financed/loaned Wankhede for his Maldives trip with family. The CBI is learnt to have sought Rajan’s version/ details on these aspects.