Aryan Khan Case: Witness-Turned-Hostile

Mumbai : Prabhakar Sail is a witness in Aryan Khan Drugs Case. The case is going on rigorously. Witness Prabakhar Sail has turned out to be hostile now, the Narcotics Bureau told a special court in Mumbai this morning, a day after Sail made sensational claims about ₹ 8 crore payoffs to agency officer Sameer Wankhede.

The NCB has filed two affidavits with the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) court. The first says the fact Prabhakar Sail filed his affidavit before submitting it to the court shows he has turned hostile. The second has been filed on behalf of Wankhede in his personal capacity.

Wankhede – who is leading this investigation – has been targeted by Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik; this morning a fresh round of sparring broke out between the two after Malik tweeted a document related to his rival’s birth and alleged ” forgery”. Wankhede hit back at the “shoddy” comment and said he would take legal action.

Shortly before news that the NCB had filed two affidavits, Prabhakar Sail was seen at the Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office. Wankhede has also written to the Mumbai Police, seeking protection from legal action fearing “being framed” with “ulterior motives.”

In Sunday’s affidavit Sail – who claims to be a bodyguard to KP Gosavi, the alleged PI whose selfie with Aryan Khan went viral – declared he overheard a conversation between his employer and a Sam D’Souza on October 3 about a deal worth ₹ 18 crore.

The 15-minute meeting allegedly took place inside a car. Pooja Dadlani, the manager of Aryan Khan’s father, star actor Shah Rukh Khan, was also present, according to Sail, who is one of nine witnesses named by the NCB in the Mumbai drugs-on-cruise case.

According to Sail, Gosavi – whom the NCB says is an ‘independent witness’ and is missing – said ₹ 8 crore of that amount would have to be given to Sameer Wankhede. Sail further claimed that he had personally delivered bags of cash worth ₹ 38 lakh to D’Souza.

NCB sources have said Prabhakar Sail’s allegations were made “to malign the (agency’s) image”. Nevertheless, the agency is set to investigate them anyway; Deputy Director-General Gyaneshwar Singh (also the NCB’s Chief Vigilance Officer) will lead that probe. Sources have said Singh is expected to talk to Wankhede on this issue tomorrow.

Aryan Khan has been in jail since October 8, and he has been denied bail by lower courts. He has now applied to the Bombay High Court, which will hear his plea tomorrow.

No drugs were found on him; the case is based entirely on information from his WhatsApp chats that the NCB claims indicate he was in touch with an international drugs cartel.

Aryan Khan’s lawyers have rubbished all charges, underlining the fact that no drugs were found on him, and that there is no evidence (beyond a statement, allegedly given under duress) of consumption.