Mumbai: Sameer Wankhede, a former zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), has said he has nothing to fear from the raids conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The CBI had on Friday registered an FIR against Wankhede and four others for allegedly demanding a bribe of ₹25 crore from actor Shah Rukh Khan for releasing his son Aryan, who was arrested on October 2, 2021, for being at a party aboard the Cordelia cruise ship off the Mumbai harbour.
Sources: CBI's action “farcical”
Sources close to Wankhede told FPJ on Saturday that the CBI action was “farcical” because Aryan Khan himself has stated in his application filed before the Bombay High Court that no one tried to extort money from him.
In the “further written submissions” advocate Anandini Fernandes said that the Bombay High Court, which was hearing Aryan Shah Rukh Khan's criminal bail application, has clearly stated “that the applicant (Aryan Khan) has nothing to do with the allegations and counter allegations that are currently on public/ social media as between the zonal director, MZU (Mumbai Zonal Unit) and certain political personalities” and that “the applicant does not make any allegations against any individual in the prosecution department”. Thus, though Khan has not levelled any allegation against Wankhede, the CBI is probing the alleged demand for ₹25 crore and that too 18 months after the incident.
CBI comes down heavily on Wankhede
The CBI raided the premises of 18 relatives of Wankhede on Friday, including his father-in-law and mother-in-law who are 88 years old. Wankhede's father, who is a retired policeman and a senior citizen, was also not spared.
What is interesting is that Pooja Dadlani, the manager of Shah Rukh Khan, who allegedly gave ₹50 lakh to a representative of a panch witness in the case, has not been examined at all. She is supposed to have handed over the cash to prosecution witness KP Gosavi at Lower Parel. But no effort has been made to record her statement and find out from where she received so much cash.
In any corruption case, there is first a demand and then the actual handing over of the bribe. In this case, the only person who made the allegation of a ₹25 crore deal is Prabhakar Sail, an independent witness.
However, Sail's claim is entirely based on hearsay. He himself said he had overheard Gosavi talk about ₹25 crore. Incidentally, Sail (36) died following a heart attack during the investigation. However, his family did not suspect any foul play.
No demand of money from SRK
Neither Shah Rukh Khan, nor his son Aryan nor Pooja Dadlani, their manager, had claimed that anyone acting on behalf of Wankhede had demanded any money.
Sources said a senior official based in Delhi, who is allegedly close to the drug mafia and its big patrons in Bollywood, is orchestrating the campaign against Wankhede who had launched a frontal attack on the narcotics mafia. “If an officer like Wankhede is targeted, other officers will think 200 times before taking on the drug mafia,” a senior official said.
Meanwhile, sources in the BJP said the action against Wankhede is harming the image of the party as the perception is gaining ground that the former NCB officer is being targeted at the behest of certain personalities who have links to the drug mafia.
