A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Sunday summoned Arbaaz Merchant and Achit Kumar for questioning in connection with Mumbai drugs-on-cruise-case. Both reached the NCB office today.
The SIT team recently took over six cases, including Mumbai drugs-on-cruise case that were being led by the agency's zonal director, Sameer Wankhede. Reportedly, it is 'routine procedure' to summon accused after a new team comes in.
NCB's zonal director Sameer Wankhede said he was not an investigating officer of these cases, adding that he was a supervisory officer as a zonal director and his role will continue to be the same.
Wankhede is facing a departmental vigilance probe after an independent witness in this case alleged an extortion bid by those involved in the investigation.
The SIT team under senior IPS officer Sanjay Kumar Singh has started recording statements of the people connected with the six cases that it has taken over from the Mumbai NCB.
Singh told India Today that Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son, Aryan Khan, was issued a summon on Saturday and asked to appear before the SIT on Sunday.
The report by India Today said that on Sunday (October 7) Arbaaz Merchantt and Achit Kumar were called in by the SIT team. The duo, who are currently out on bail, were summoned to record their statement in connection to the cruise drug bust case.
After 26 days in custody, the Bombay HC on October 28 allowed bail to Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha in NCB's cruise drug bust case.
The Bollywood superstar's son was detained by the NCB on October 2 after a drug raid on the Cordelia cruise ship heading for Goa. Following their custody at NCB, Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant were remanded to judicial custody at Arthur Road Jail since October 7 while Munmun Dhamecha was sent to Byculla Women's Jail.
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