Maharashtra: Ruling parties demands high-level probe into allegations of extortion by NCB

In the wake of the revelation by a key witness in the cruise drugs case, Prabhakar Sail, Maharashtra’s ruling parties have demanded a high-level probe by Maharashtra police.

In the wake of the revelation by a key witness in the cruise drugs case, Prabhakar Sail, Maharashtra’s ruling parties have demanded a high-level probe by Maharashtra police. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and state minister Nawab Malik said he will meet chief minister Uddhav Thackeray over the demand, while Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut has demanded suo motu cognisance by the Maharashtra police.

In the wake of the revelation by a key witness in the cruise drugs case, Prabhakar Sail, Maharashtra’s ruling parties have demanded a high-level probe by Maharashtra police. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and state minister Nawab Malik (above) said he will meet chief minister Uddhav Thackeray over the demand, while Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut has demanded suo motu cognisance by the Maharashtra police. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

Malik, who has been revealing lapses and violations in the probe by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), said this needs to be investigated by a special investigation team (SIT). “What we have been saying from day one has been proven true after the sensational revelation by the witness in the case. Sail has said that the NCB officials demanded money from Shah Rukh Khan and Rs8 crore of that was meant for NCB’s zonal director Sameer Wankhede. The NCB sleuths were busy in extortion by threatening Bollywood via raids. This needs to be investigated by Maharashtra police, so as to verify the claims made by Sail. Checking call records, locations of the vehicles used to carry money, mobile locations will bring the truth to the fore,” he said.

Malik said he was meeting the CM personally on Monday to demand an SIT. “The extortion racket was being run by NCB officers. It can be proved by probing the information given by the witness. I will request the CM for a probe by state police,” he said.

Malik had earlier raised questions over the handling of the drug case accused, Aryan Khan, by one KC Gosavi, who is facing criminal cases, and a BJP officer bearer, Manish Bhanushali. He had also questioned why Wankhede was in Maldives last year when Bollywood actors were holidaying during the lockdown.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has demanded an inquiry into the entire episode by taking suo motu cognisance. “Witness in #AryanKhan case made to sign on blank paper by NCB is shocking. Also thr r reports that thr ws demnd of huge money. CM Uddhav Thackeray said that ths cases r made2 defame Mah’shtra. Ths seems 2b comng tru @Dwalsepatil Police shd tk suo moto cognizance @ CMOMaharashtra(sic),” he tweeted.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole has demanded a high-level probe. “The revelations by Sail are serious in nature as he has claimed about the extortion of Rs25 crore. The NCB action appears to be a conspiracy against Maharashtra and the state government. Sail has also expressed threat to his life. The state government needs to conduct a high-level probe in the allegations,” he said.

Leader of opposition in legislative council Pravin Darekar said that the ruling parties are targeting central agencies by levelling false allegations. “Nawab Malik and others have been levelling false allegations against NCB and its zonal director Sameer Wankhede. The ruling parties have been targeting central agencies and the central government for the political reasons and the new allegations related to the permissions to vehicles is one of such attempts. The allegations are baseless and false,” he said.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said if there is any substance in the clip of Sail there should be a probe conducted into it. “We never stood by Wankhede and there was no need to be as he is not our worker or office-bearer. We never criticised him or NCB. But it needs to check who is supporting Shah Rukh Khan. Ruling party leaders have been targeting central agencies as if they have taken up the case of certain people. It is surprising the way Malik has been taking interest in the entire case,” he said.