Based on an NCB vigilance report, the CBI has filed a corruption case against former NCB official Sameer Wankhede. In October 2021, Wankhede arrested Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan for narcotics.
Wankhede was charged by the CBI under Sections 7, 7A, and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 388 (extortion by threat).
The Aryan Khan case FIR indicated that Sameer Wankhede planned to extort Rs 25 crore. The NCB opened a vigilance probe against Sameer Wankhede and others over the Aryan Khan case.
Sam D’Souza: Wankhede’s drug dealer-turned-informer.
NCB nabbed LSD dealer Sam D’Souza. Sameer Wankhede and his team got Rs 10 Lakh bribes. Sources say Sammer Wankhede and VV Singh received this amount.
D’Souza afterwards informed for Wankhede. He helped Wankhede find narcotics suspects. He planted phony medications, too. Wankhede’s ‘Patil’ cruise party informant
A Gujarati named ‘Patil’ told Wankhede about the cruise’s “rave party” and the high-profile targets who would attend. The NCB was unaware of Aryan Khan’s cruise party attendance.
Patil knew Sam D’Souza, who introduced Manish Bhanushali and Kiren Gosavi to Wankhede and his crew before the attack. These two NCB team members identified high-profile targets.
When Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was seen on the vacation with companions, the NCB cut their objective from 27 to 10.
10 high-profile targets included Aryan Khan.
The NCB crew detained Aryan Khan from the ship and took his phone to prevent him from calling anyone. Aryan was with four companions, but reports say only Arbaaz Merchant had narcotics.
Aryan Khan was the only one caught despite three other pals having drug discussions on their phones.
Arbaaz testified that Aryan Khan did not use narcotics and prevented others from doing so. On May 2-3, Wankhede authorized Aryan Khan’s family’s extortion demands. “Papa mei NCB custody mei hoon, plz help me”: Aryan Khan’s phone SOS.
Kiran Gosavi mistakenly captured Aryan Khan’s voice message in the NCB office. Wankhede and his colleagues sent Pooja Dadlani, Shahrukh Khan’s manager, a shortened audio message “Papa mei NCB custody mei hon, plz help me” and a photo of Kiran Gosavi with Aryan Khan to begin extortion negotiations.
Negotiations reduced 28 crore to 18 crore.
Had the selfie showing Aryan Khan and Kiran Gosavi not gone viral, Sameer Wankhede and his team would have succeeded. Pooja Dadlani visited Kiran Gosavo on the night of May 2-3 and negotiated a reduction from Rs 28 crore to Rs18 crore, sources said.
She gave Kiran Gosavi a token Rs 50 lakh in cash. Aryan Khan’s photo with Kiran Gosavi went viral, revealing that Gosavi was not an NCB official, derailing the transaction.
Investigation revealed the story.
The NCB detained and arraigned Aryan Khan. The NCB probe indicated that Aryan’s phone was not confiscated after his detention, and team Wankhede’s extortion was also suspected.
Later, Gosavi contacted Dadlani and reimbursed Rs 38 lakh from the token money, telling him that it had already reached Wankhede.
CCTV tampering before vigilance probe
NCB sources said Wankhede’s crew tampered with the CCTV when Aryan Khan was detained and spotted with Gosavi at Mumbai’s NCB office. The NCB vigilance team later found the DVR removed from the CCTV camera at the Mumbai office.
NCB sources told India Today that Gosavi was Facetiming Shah Rukh’s manager Dadlani and updating Wankhede on another app.
Sources said NCB officers reset their phones before giving them to the vigilance squad to remove any evidence. The CBI filed its case against team Wankhede after the NCB submitted its vigilance report with the Union Home Ministry.
After catching Aryan Khan on October 2, 2021, during a Cordelia Cruise raid, Sameer Wankhede made headlines. Aryan Khan timeline. Aryan Khan is arrested by the NCB on the Mumbai-Goa Cordelia Cruise ship on October 2, 2021. NCB captures Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, and eight others.
October 3, 2021: The NCB charges Aryan Khan, Munmun Dhamecha, and Arbaaz Merchant. The magistrate orders one-day custody.
Oct 4, 2021: Aryan Khan and others appear in court. Aryan had a drug conversation on his phone, according to the NCB. Magistrate extends incarceration to October 7.
Oct. 7, 2021: Magistrate puts accused to judicial custody.
Oct 9, 2021: The NCB agrees that Aryan Khan’s bail request hearing in Mumbai’s session court yielded no drugs.
Oct. 20, 2021: Special NDPS court denies Aryan Khan and others bail. He petitions the Bombay High Court.
The Bombay HC releases Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, and Munmun Dhamecha on October 28, 2021.
May 27, 2022: The NCB clears Aryan Khan. Aryan Khan isn’t charged. SN Pradhan admits Sameer Wankhede’s probe contradictions. The government investigates Wankhede.
The NCB chargesheet excludes Aryan Khan, Gopal G, and Bhaskar Arora, but identifies 14 others
