Drugs-on-cruise case: Palghar trader files defamation case against Prabhakar Sail

The Palghar police on Thursday registered a non-cognisable offence against an independent witness in the cruise drug case, Prabhakar Sail for wrongfully using a 35-year-old Palghar trader’s photograph and mobile number as that of Sam D’souza

The Palghar police on Thursday registered a non-cognisable offence against an independent witness in the cruise drug case, Prabhakar Sail for wrongfully using a 35-year-old Palghar trader’s photograph and mobile number as that of Sam D’souza, whose name has cropped up in the case.

On Monday, trader Hanik Bafna had approached Palghar police and filed defamation case against Prabhakar Sail after he began receiving calls regarding his involvement in the drugs case.

On Monday, trader Hanik Bafna had approached police after he began receiving calls regarding his involvement in the drugs case, in which, actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan was among those arrested and subsequently released on bail by the high court.

Senior inspector Ram Bhalsinh of Palghar police said, “We have registered a complaint under sections 500 (punishment for defamation) 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory) of the Indian Penal Code against Sail and are investigating further.”

As per the complaint, Bafna’s WhatsApp display picture and mobile phone number were circulated as that of one Sam D’Souza by Sail, an Andheri resident, who claimed to be the personal guard of Kiran Gosavi - a key witness in the cruise drug bust case. He revealed in a notarised affidavit that he overheard Gosavi talking to another person about a ₹18-crore deal, of which, ₹8 crore was alleged to be paid to NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede.

Sail had alleged that ₹38 lakh was collected as the initial payment and it was handed over to Sam D’Souza in a white Innova car near a 7-star hotel.

Bafna, who has known Sail since 2019 for business ventures, told the police that he was surprised that his picture and phone number was given as that of Sam D’souza by Sail.

Bafna, who was held in a cheating case a few years ago and released on bail in 2019, said that on October 3, when the alleged money was paid and collected by Sam Dsouza, he was in Palghar. He urged cops to check for CCTV images in Palghar.