Drugs-on-cruise: Maha govt says DGP to probe NCB witness Prabhakar Sail's death

Maharashtra home minister Dilip Walse Patil the death of NCB's independent witness in the case involving Aryan Khan appeared to be suspicious and he had asked the DGP to probe the case.

The Maharashtra government on Saturday said the state police will investigate into the death of Prabhakar Sail, an independent witness of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the drugs-on-cruise case involving Bollywood superstar’s son Aryan Khan.

File photo of NCB's independent witness Prabhakar Sail and his advocate Tushar Kandhare in Mumbai, (HT Print)

Sail, who was later declared ‘hostile’ by the NCB, died of heart attack at his residence in suburban Chembur, police said.

Maharashtra home minister Dilip Walse Patil the death appeared to be suspicious and he had asked the Director-General of Police (DGP) to probe the case.

"The Maharashtra DGP will investigate the Prabhakar Sail death case. Many people had suspected his death. How could such a strong and healthy man die suddenly?" Patil was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Earlier in the day, Sail's lawyer Tushar Khandare confirmed the death and said his family members did not suspect any foul play.

A police officer said, "Prabhakar Sail, 37, died of a heart attack at his house in Mahul on Friday evening." He was rushed to the civic-run Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar, where he was declared brought dead, he added.

Sail, who had claimed to be the personal bodyguard of Kiran Gosavi, another independent witness in the Mumbai cruise ship raid case, had raised corruption allegations against Gosavi and the then NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede.

He had said he had heard Gosavi discuss a ₹25 crore pay-off deal after Aryan Khan was arrested during a raid on a Goa-bound cruise ship off the Mumbai coast on October 3 last year.

A total of 20 people were arrested in the case, including Aryan Khan.

(With inputs from agencies)