Day after revelations in Aryan Khan case, MVA demands action against NCB officials

Sena MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, “The SIT found that Aryan Khan did not have any possession of drugs on him. It was staged

Mumbai The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance has targeted the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and its Mumbai unit’s former zonal director Sameer Wankhede over the handling of the Aryan Khan-Cordelia drugs bust case after the agency’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) found out that Khan was not involved in any international drugs trafficking syndicate and there were several irregularities in the raid on the cruise ship.

Aryan Khan, Son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, reaches Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB) office for his weekly attendance as per the Bombay High court bail orders, in Mumbai on Friday. (ANI)

The three ruling partners – Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, and Congress - said Central agencies are building false cases for political gains and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik’s allegations of an extortion bid were true in light of the SIT’s findings. NCP leader Malik was arrested on money- laundering charges by the Enforcement Directorate.

On the night of October 2, 2021, Wankhede led a team of officers and some witnesses to raid Cordelia at International Cruise Terminal at Green Gate in Mumbai. Khan was arrested, and was released on bail on October 28 last year.

Sena MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, “The SIT found that Aryan Khan did not have any possession of drugs on him. It was staged; similar false cases are being foisted on us. All this is being exposed gradually. We will soon unmask everybody.” He added, “The truth has come out through the report. The entire thing was concocted because he was Shah Rukh Khan’s son and they wanted to extort money from him. They wanted to defame him.”

State NCP chief Jayant Patil said Wankhede and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office-bearers have been left exposed with this news report. “I read HT’s news report today. It indicates that attempts were made to frame Shah Rukh Khan’s son (Aryan) by raiding the cruise and making a lot of noise. The officer (Wankhede) who did all this and the BJP office-bearers who were there along with him have been exposed.”

He also said, “The way Central agencies are working against Malik, it also made it clear that justice would be denied to all those who would speak truth as it was Malik who made so many revelations and also exposed wrongdoings by NCB officials (in this case).”

Patil added that the SIT too in its investigation reached the conclusion that Aryan Khan was not in the possession of drugs, which was the base of this case and Malik was also insisting the same thing that “don’t make false cases and stop misuse of Central agencies”.

Malik had alleged that an extortion bid was made for ₹25 crore by some agency officials for letting off Aryan Khan. However, the alleged deal did not go through leading to his arrest, he had said.

Sachin Sawant, Congress general secretary, too demanded action against NCB officials.

“SIT has revealed that Aryan Khan didn’t hv drugs & exposed mistakes made by wankhede team during raid. Clear that @nawabmalikncp’s allegations were true & extortion racket was going on. Why no action was taken against NCB officials for visible violation of rules in NCB Rulebook? (sic),”he tweeted.

He further said that BJP office-bearers were involved in the raid, and that the party must issue a public apology. “BJP office bearer was involved in this raid as a panch. @BJP4Maharashtra leaders were backing these officials. BJP must issue a public apology. Action should be taken against entire team of Wankhede along with officers who backed it. All previous complaints must be investigated (sic)” he wrote.

Sena Rajya Sabha MP and deputy leader of the party, Priyanka Chaturvedi, said the state has exposed the misuse of the Central Bureau of Investigation and it will soon expose ED officials misusing their authority. “Maharashtra exposed how CBI was misused by central government during SSR case, final closure report still awaited. Now NCB forced to admit wrongdoing on part of its officials in the drugs case. Next will be exposing ED officials misusing their authority to please the centre (sic),” she tweeted.

Reacting to the developments, BJP legislator Atul Bhatkhalkar said, “The NCB has already said that no clean chit has been given to anybody including Aryan Khan; it is still being investigated. With regards to Malik’s allegations of extortion, if they have proof, they must give it to the relevant authorities such as the Anti-Corruption Bureau.”