Sameer Wankhede to meet NCB DG in Delhi today amid bribe row
NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede
Mumbai: NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, who spearheaded the cruise drug bust on October 3, leading to the arrest of Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan, among others, left for New Delhi on Monday amid bribe allegations against him. He is set to meet NCB DG Satya Narayan Pradhan on Tuesday, sources said.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had earlier ordered a vigilance inquiry into the claims made by a witness in the cruise drugs case of an extortion bid of Rs 25 crore by some agency officials, including Wankhede, and others, for letting off accused Aryan Khan.
A three-member team of the anti-drug agency will go from Delhi to Mumbai on Tuesday to probe the allegations of corruption levelled against the Zonal Director.
The team will comprise NCB DDG Gyaneshwar Singh and two inspector-level officers.
Meanwhile, Gyaneshwar Singh said, "I am supervising the inquiry on the allegations (against Sameer Wankhede)." On being asked if Wankhede will remain on the post, Singh said, "It is premature to comment. We have just started the inquiry". Mumbai NCB officials have submitted a detailed report to the Director-General of NCB regarding the allegations.
Wankhede, who had been probing the Aryan Khan case, has, on his part, alleged that he and his family are being targeted by a political leader.
Actor Ananya Panday, who was summoned again for questioning in connection with the Mumbai cruise drugs case failed to appear for the quizzing on Monday. This is the third time the actress has been summoned for questioning by the NCB in a case that seems to have more twists than a Bollywood potboiler after a witness of the NCB claimed that the probe agency had asked him to sign blank papers and that there was a demand of Rs 25 crore bribe to let off Aryan Khan, an allegation that was rubbished by the NCB.
Independent witness in the Mumbai cruise drugs case, Prabhakar Sail, arrived at the Mumbai police commissioner's office on Monday to meet senior security officials. He had claimed on Sunday that Rs 25 crore was demanded by an NCB official to let off Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan in the case. Sail visited the police commissioner's office apparently in connection with his security concern. He reached the commissioner's office premises at around 11.20 am and met Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Milind Bharambhe.