Drugs on cruise case: 15 key suspects yet to be examined, says NCB SIT

Mumbai: Fifteen key suspects are yet to be examined for the “fair and logical conclusion of the investigation” in the drugs on cruise case involving Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said in its plea before the special NDPS court, seeking a 90-day extension for the filing of the charge sheet in the case

Mumbai: Fifteen key suspects are yet to be examined for the “fair and logical conclusion of the investigation” in the drugs on cruise case involving Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said in its plea before the special NDPS court, seeking a 90-day extension for the filing of the charge sheet in the case.

The SIT application stated that statements of 19 suspects, whose names cropped up during the investigation, are recorded, but 15 key suspects are yet to be examined. (PTI)

Special NDPS judge VV Patil has posted the SIT plea for hearing on Wednesday. The SIT application stated that statements of 19 suspects, whose names cropped up during the investigation, are recorded, but 15 key suspects are yet to be examined. Besides, the SIT has examined 10 independent witnesses in connection with the case, but the examination of four more witnesses are yet to be completed.

The SIT has also cited several other reasons like restrictions imposed on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, magnitude of the offence, the complicity of the case due to 20 accused from different parts of India, involvement of foreign nationals, tracing the money trail and drug trail, among others.

The application also stated that examination of main panch KP Gosavi -- a witness to the two recoveries made by the NCB team on October 2, 2021 -- is incomplete, as Gosavi has been arrested by Pune police and is presently under judicial custody. It added that NCB has thrice requested the concerned judicial magistrate, but still awaiting favourable orders.

Acting on a specific tip-off, a team of the NCB officials, headed by the agency’s Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, had on October 2 searched certain passengers slated to take a holiday cruise to Goa from the International Cruise Terminal at Green Gate in Mumbai.

During the search, the agency claimed to have seized drugs like 13 grams of Cocaine, 5 grams of Mephedrone, 21 grams of Charas, and 22 pills of MDMA (ecstasy) and ₹1.33 lakh in cash from seven of the nine persons apprehended during the raid.

Gosavi and Prabhakar Sail were two panch witnesses to the recoveries made from five of the nine persons apprehended by the NCB team at the cruise terminal and the cruise ship – 6 grams of Charas purportedly seized from Aryan Khan’s friend Arbaaz Merchant and 13 gm Cocaine, 10 gm Charas, 5 gm MD, 10.62 gms Ecstasy or MDMA allegedly seized from four Delhi residents.

The application further stated that since Sail has turned hostile and filed an affidavit before the special NDPS court, “Gosavi’s examination has become necessary and pivotal for unearthing true and correct facts of this case.”

It added that reports of the 17 samples sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory at Pune corroborate NCB’s stand that the seized articles were contraband material, as contemplated under the NDPS Act, 1985.

It further stated that the investigation is almost completed as regards six accused of the accused, as their case is intertwined, but the SIT intends to file one comprehensive charge sheet in the case after completing the probe.

Abdul Kadar Shaikh and Chinedu Igwe from whom a commercial quantity of contraband was allegedly seized by the agency are presently in judicial custody. All other accused are out on bail.