mangalore today

I haven’t been removed, my request that Aryan Khan case be probed by central agency: Sameer Wankhede


Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai, Nov 06, 2021: Speaking exclusively to India Today after news emerged that he had been taken off the Aryan Khan drugs case, NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede said, "I am the zonal director of the NCB’s Mumbai unit and will remain so. I have not been removed from that post."

 

Sameer Wankhede


Further, he stated that he had requested that the Aryan Khan case be probed by a central agency. "I too had requested that the Aryan Khan case and Nawab Malik’s allegations be investigated by a central agency. Hence, it is good that a special investigation team from Delhi will now conduct the probe," he told India Today over a phone call.

Sameer Wankhede was quoted by ANI as saying, "I’ve not been removed from the investigation. It was my writ petition in court that the matter be probed by a central agency. So Aryan case and Sameer Khan case are being probed by Delhi NCB. It’s a coordination between NCB teams of Delhi and Mumbai."

On Friday evening, six cases, including the Aryan Khan one, were transferred from the NCB’s Mumbai zone to the central zone. Sanjay Singh, the deputy director general of the central unit of the NCB, will now be the supervising officer for all five cases. Sameer Wankhede, zonal director of the NCB’s Mumbai unit, is no longer in charge of these cases.

 


Sameer Wankhede added that he will continue to work on his "operations against drugs".

Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik, who has levelled several allegations against Sameer Wankhede since the Mumbai cruise drugs case began, raised a question on Friday night regarding the NCB officer’s claim that he had requested a probe by a central agency into the case.

He said, "Either ANI is misquoting Sameer Wankhede or he is misleading the nation. He filed a writ petition in court asking that the investigation on him for extortion and corruption be conducted by CBI or NIA, not by Mumbai Police.

Court rejected his petition. Nation must know the truth."

An official statement released by the central agency said, "A special investigation team [SIT] comprising officers from Operations Branch of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Headquarters has been constituted by the Director General, NCB to take over a total of six cases from NCB Mumbai Zonal Unit. No officers have been removed from their present roles and will continue to assist the Operations Branch investigation as required... It is reiterated that the NCB functions across India as a single integrated agency."

Sanjay Singh, the officer who will now supervise the six NCB cases that have been transferred from the agency’s Mumbai zone, is a 1996 batch Odisha cadre officer.

In the past, he has served as Additional Commissioner of Odisha Police and Inspector General of Odisha Police.

In November 2020, he was sent on deputation to the NCB as Deputy Director General till January 31, 2025.

Sanjay Singh will leave Delhi for Mumbai on Saturday.

PROBE AGAINST SAMEER WANKHEDE

Meanwhile, a vigilance probe against Sameer Wankhede is currently underway. The probe was initiated by the NCB after allegations of extortion were levelled against Sameer Wankhede in the course of the investigation into the Mumbai cruise drugs case.

An independent witness in the Mumbai cruise drugs case, Prabhakar Sail, alleged that Rs 25 crore was demanded on behalf of Sameer Wankhede to let off Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan.

In a notarised affidavit, Prabhakar Sail, who was the bodyguard of another witness KP Gosavi, claimed the latter had made the demand for Rs 25 crore on behalf of Sameer Wankhede. He also alleged that he was made to sign blank papers by NCB officials.

Following the allegations, the NCB launched a probe. The probe is being led by NCB Deputy Director General Gyaneshwar Singh. On October 27, Sameer Wankhede was questioned by the NCB’s vigilance team for more than four hours.


Courtesy:India Today