Tag: cheating case

Politics Takes Centre Stage in NCB’s Probe Into Cruise Drugs Case

Allegations against and counter-claims by NCB investigating officer Sameer Wankhede have grabbed headlines.

Mumbai: It is a truth well known that the moment a central investigating agency takes over a criminal case in Maharashtra, the probe no longer remains just about the crime. Politics takes over soon after.

This happened in the case arising from the death, by suicide, of actor Sushant Singh Rajput last year, repeated itself this year in the investigation into the alleged bomb scare outside billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani’s residence in South Mumbai and now, with the the recent arrest of actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan along with few others in an alleged drug case.

From the arrest of 23-year-old Aryan Khan and his extended custody period, now going on 24 days, the focus has now shifted on the Narcotics Control Bureau’s investigating officer, Sameer Wankhede.

Wankhede, an Indian Revenue Service officer of the 2008 batch, who was appointed as a zonal director of the NCB last year has been facing the ire of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state. He has been accused of being a “BJP agent” and maligning the Maharashtra government’s image.

The Hindu rightwing, on the other hand, has been rallying around Wankhede and lauding him as an upright officer on a mission to eliminate crime. Two days ago, the organisation headed by Hindu hardliner Manohar Kulkarni alias Sambhaji Bhide agitated in several cities in western Maharashtra against the Maha Vikas Aghadi government for “targeting” Wankhede.

Bhide’s organisation has also written to Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, seeking action against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and spokesperson Nawab Malik for making pointed remarks against Wankhede.

A protest in support of Sameer Wankhede. Photo: Video screengrab

Among many allegations against Wankhede, the most potent one was made by a witness in Khan’s case. The witness, Prabhakar Sail, who claims to be bodyguard of K.P. Gosavi, a “private investigator” is one of the panch (spot) witnesses in the case. Gosavi, allegedly close to Wankhede and his family members, was present at the time of the raid in the Goa- bound cruise liner on October 2, when Khan and others were arrested.

Sail claims that he was made to sign blank papers by Wankhede.

The viral selfie taken by Kiran Gosavi (left) with Aryan Khan. Photo: Social media

In the affidavit, which was circulated on social media, Sail has claimed that while working with Gosavi he had overheard him talk to one Sam D’Souza about a Rs “18- crore deal”. Of this, Sail has claimed that Rs 8 crore was Wankhede’s share.

Sail has also claimed that Gosavi is currently missing and the NCB has a role in this. “I fear for my life,” Sail has claimed in his affidavit.


Soon after the affidavit was circulated across social media platforms, the NCB Mumbai office issued a statement saying that the affidavit needs to be filed in the court.

“As he (Sail) is a witness in the case and as the case is before the honourable court and sub-judice, he needs to submit his prayer to the honourable court rather than through social media if he has anything to say,” stated Mutha Ashok Jain, the Deputy Director General of NCB, in a letter.

Wankhede has denied this allegation and has called it an attempt to “malign” him and his family members. On Monday, October 25, Wankhede, through his office, moved the special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act court, complaining against Sail and against the “lurking threat of arrest”.

The court has observed that it cannot pass blanket orders to bar courts from taking cognisance of Sail’s affidavit.

Wankhede, in his affidavit, states that, “After spearheading this cruise investigation, I have been personally targeted especially by a known political figure for reasons best known to him.”

Wankhede openly accused Malik of targeting him. “From time to time there is a series of vendetta targeted at me and my family members who are victims of such defamatory attacks and false, frivolous and vexatious allegations…I was threatened to be arrested and to be dispelled from my job/service. There are a slew of attacks against me and my family,” his affidavit notes.

Malik’s son-in-law Sameer Khan was implicated by Wankhede in a drug peddling case. After the NDPS court in Mumbai ruled out that no evidence was found against Sameer, Malik had addressed the press and accused Wankhede of false claims and running a “media trial” against his family.

Malik had alleged that the NCB had shown 200 kg herbal tobacco as ganja or marijuana and produced photographs of seized drugs which were actually taken at its office. Malik said the NCB had “found nothing” in the raids conducted at Khan’s office. “But wrong information was still passed on to the media,” Malik had said in the press meet. This, he claimed, was done with a mala fide intention and for “cheap publicity”.

Wankhede is not new to controversies. In the past too, while having been deputed at the Central Excise department, Wankhede earned the reputation of detaining several film personalities at the Mumbai airport for purportedly trying to evade customs duty.

Last year, Wankhede was brought to NCB to specially investigate the drug case against actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik. Strangely, in both, the Chakraborty and Aryan Khan cases, the NCB, in the absence of any contraband, has relied only on WhatsApp chats. 

NCB Visits Shah Rukh Khan’s House ‘Mannat’ For ‘Paperwork’ in Cruise Drugs Case

Actor Ananya Panday’s house, also in Mumbai, was visited as well.

New Delhi: The Narcotics Control Bureau visited Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s Mumbai house, 18 days after the actor’s son Aryan was arrested in a cruise drugs case, heightening media attention and leading to speculation on whether it conducted a raid.

NCB officials are understood to have said later that the visit was “for paperwork.”

Times of India had broken the news stating that an NCB “raid” was taking place at Mannat, Khan’s multi-storey house which is also a popular tourist destination in Mumbai.

However, it is not yet clear as to whether NCB officials searched the inside of the house or not, and what the purpose of the visit was.

“The investigation is going on. When NCB officials visit a person or location that does not mean the person is directly involved or being investigated. There are several procedures being followed,” an unnamed NCB official was quoted as having told TOI.

ANI reported that the visit concluded within an hour.

Well after initial buzz over the visits died down, NDTV journalist Saurabh Gupta tweeted that an NCB team has said that it was there for paperwork and “not a search or raid.”

Actor Ananya Panday’s house, also in Mumbai, was visited by NCB officials as well, reports say. NCB has also issued summons to Panday and asked her to appear before NCB at 2 pm. Indian Express has reported that this visit was prompted by chats in Aryan Khan’s phone, that NCB has accessed.

The visits come on the same day when Shah Rukh Khan visited his son at Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail amidst pitched media attention.

Aryan was arrested with a few others on October 3 after the Narcotics Control Bureau raided a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast and claimed to have seized drugs, including charas.

On the same day, the Bombay high court said that it will hear Aryan’s bail application in the cruise drugs case on Tuesday, October 26, refusing a video conference hearing.

Note: This is a developing story and is being updated as news breaks.

Bombay HC Refuses Video Hearing, Sets Oct 26 Date for Aryan Khan’s Bail Hearing

When Khan’s counsel requested for a hearing tomorrow or Monday, the NCB counsel claimed that it had not been served with a physical copy.

New Delhi: The Bombay high court said on Thursday, October 21, that it will hear Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan’s bail application in the cruise drugs case on Tuesday, October 26, refusing a video conference hearing.

Aryan was arrested with a few others on October 3 after the Narcotics Control Bureau raided a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast and claimed to have seized drugs, including charas.

So far, 20 persons have been arrested in the case.

Aryan’s counsel Satish Maneshinde mentioned once again to the bench of Justice N.W. Sambre that no drugs were found in the 23-year-old’s possession.

When Maneshinde requested for hearing tomorrow, October 22, or Monday, October 25, the NCB counsel, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, said that they had not been served, reported LiveLaw.

“He’s been served electronically. I will give a physical copy as well,” Maneshinde said, before the court set the Tuesday hearing date.

The court said it would be hearing the case in the physical mode and refused a video conference hearing.

The court also kept the bail application for co-accused Munmun Dhamecha on Tuesday.

A special court in Mumbai on Wednesday had denied bail to Aryan, observing that “on the face of it”, he was indulging in “illicit drug activities on a regular basis”.

The court also said that his WhatsApp chats showed, prima facie, that he was in touch with drug peddlers.

In Aryan’s WhatsApp chats, there is a reference to “bulk quantity and hard drugs” and “there is prima facie material showing that accused No 1 was in contact with persons dealing in prohibited narcotic substances,” the order said, as reported by The Wire.

“Prima facie, it appears that there is a case of conspiracy and abetment as alleged by the prosecution,” it said.

Meanwhile, amidst pitched media attention, Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday met Aryan at the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai where the latter has been lodged following his arrest on October 3.

Aryan Khan Seemed To Be Indulging in Drug Activities Regularly: Court Says, Denying Bail

Aryan, the son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, immediately filed an appeal in the Bombay high court challenging the lower court’s order.

New Delhi: Rejecting Aryan Khan’s bail petition, a Mumbai sessions court on Wednesday observed that “on the face of it”, he was indulging in “illicit drug activities on a regular basis”. His WhatsApp chats also showed, prima facie, that he was in touch with drug peddlers, the court noted.

Aryan, the son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, immediately filed an appeal in the Bombay high court challenging the lower court’s order.

Special judge V.V. Patil, designated to hear cases related to the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, also rejected Khan’s co-accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha’s bail applications.

The Narcotics Control Bureau had arrested the three on October 3 after a raid on the previous day at the departure station of a cruise ship. So far, 20 persons have been arrested in the case.

The special NDPS Act court in its 21-page order noted that WhatsApp chats of Aryan Khan prima facie revealed that he was “dealing in illicit drug activities on a regular basis” and therefore it cannot be said that he was not likely to commit a similar offence if released on bail.

It also held that Aryan knew that his friend and co-accused Arbaaz Merchant was in possession of drugs, and hence there was “conscious possession” even though the NCB had not found any drugs on Aryan himself.

“Considering the prima facie involvement of the applicants/accused No 1 to 3 [Aryan Khan, Merchant and Dhamecha] in the commission of grave and serious offence, this is not a fit case for granting bail,” the judge said in the order.

The material placed before it by the NCB showed on the face of it that section 29 of the NDPS Act, pertaining to conspiracy, was applicable, said the court. Therefore, it is not possible to record a satisfaction at this stage that the applicants have not committed any offence under the NDPS Act, the order said.

Case papers and voluntary statements of Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant disclosed that they possessed drugs for consumption and enjoyment, the court noted further.

“These things go to show that accused No 1 (Aryan) was having knowledge of the contraband concealed by accused No 2 (Merchant) in his shoes,” it said.

“Although no contraband is found in the possession of accused No 1, six grams of charas was found in possession of accused No 2 of which accused No 1 (Aryan) was having knowledge and thus it can be said that it was in conscious possession of both the accused,” the court added.

In Aryan’s WhatsApp chats, there is a reference to “bulk quantity and hard drugs” and “there is prima facie material showing that accused No 1 was in contact with persons dealing in prohibited narcotic substances,” the order said.

“Prima facie, it appears that there is a case of conspiracy and abetment as alleged by the prosecution,” it said.

Earlier, a magistrate’s court had rejected the accused’s bail pleas, saying only a special court can hear these matters.

Background

The trio is now in judicial custody. While Aryan Khan and Merchant are lodged at the Arthur Road prison, Dhamecha is lodged at the Byculla women’s prison in the city.

They were booked under sections 8(c) read with 20b (purchase), 27 (consumption), 28 (attempt to commit offence), 29 (abetment/ conspiracy) and 35 (presumption of culpable mental state) of the NDPS Act, LiveLaw has reported.

Appearing for the NCB, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh had earlier claimed that there was evidence to show that Aryan Khan was a “regular consumer of drugs for the last few years.”

Also read: Why Aryan Khan? And Other Questions About NCB’s ‘Cruise Drugs Party’ Raid

Khan’s lawyers have sought to highlight that nothing was recovered from him personally.

The ASG said that drugs were seized from Merchant at the docks, and they were meant for consumption by both Aryan and him and that Aryan was “in contact with members of an international drug racket.”

Senior advocate Amit Desai, representing Aryan Khan, said the NCB was pointing to an international trafficking racket, but if the consumer states from where he procured drugs, then “the chain is complete”.

On Aryan’s WhatsApp chats, which the NCB counsel had sought to establish as incriminating evidence, Desai had said that today’s youth have different ways of expressing themselves.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party, a part of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, has brought several allegations against the NCB’s investigation into the case.

NCP said two people in the NCB team that raided the cruise ship were civilians and one of them is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The latter confessed in a TV interview that he was, indeed, a BJP member and was an informer in the case.

The Pune police, meanwhile, have issued a lookout circular against Kiran P. Gosavi, the other civilian who was part of the raid and is reportedly a ‘private detective’. He took a viral selfie with Aryan after he was detained. Gosavi is also named as an accused in four unrelated cases of cheating.

Cruise Drugs Case: Court to Pass Order on Aryan Khan’s Bail on October 20

NCB has said that though nothing was recovered from him personally, his “WhatsApp chats revealed his links with drug peddlers.”

Mumbai: Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, “was a regular consumer of drugs,” the NCB on Thursday told a special NDPS court here while opposing his bail plea in a case of alleged seizure of banned drugs from a cruise ship.

Aryan (23), arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3, will have to remain in jail for at least six more days as the court, after hearing arguments, posted the matter for orders on October 20.

Khan and two others, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, have sought bail from the court of V.V. Patil, special judge for cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Appearing for the NCB, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh claimed that there was evidence to show that Aryan Khan was a regular consumer of drugs for the last few years.

Since his arrest, the NCB has said that though nothing was recovered from him personally, Aryan’s WhatsApp chats revealed his links with drug peddlers.

The ASG further contended that drugs were seized from Merchant at the docks, and they were meant for consumption by both Aryan and him.

Also read: Pune Police Issue Lookout Circular Against ‘Detective’ Who Took Selfie With Aryan Khan

The NCB has also been claiming that Aryan was “in contact with members of an international drug racket.”

The NCB was in touch with the External Affairs Ministry to identify them, the ASG said.

Singh also cited a high court ruling in another case that if an accused is shown to be in touch with drug dealers, bail cannot be granted even though there is no drug recovery.

“Drug abuse is affecting youngsters, and being college-going boys should not be a consideration for bail,” the NCB lawyer said, adding that “the future of the country depends on this generation.”

“This is not what our freedom-fighters had in mind. This is the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha. The investigation is at preliminary stage, this is not the stage for grant of bail,” he added.

Senior Advocate Amit Desai, representing Aryan Khan, said the NCB was pointing to international trafficking racket, but if the consumer states from where he procured drugs, then “the chain is complete”.

The NCB itself had alleged that Aryan disclosed the name of Achit Kumar, another arrested accused, he said. The agency can continue the probe, but the allegation of links to international racket against Aryan is “inherently absurd and false”, he said.

“I don’t think there can be a debate that the entire world is fighting the drug menace. We got our freedom and we must protect it and save the younger generation from the drug menace,” the lawyer said.

On Aryan’s WhatsApp chats, Desai said today’s youth have different ways of expressing themselves which might be a “torture” for the older generation.

Also read: Two Men Involved in NCB Cruise Raid Civilians, Says NCP; One Admits to Being ‘Loyal BJP Worker’

“The language could seem like something different than what ought to be (expected) in a court of law and might lead to suspicion,” advocate Desai said.

“These are private moments which are being investigated. You can go ahead and investigate…But it has nothing to do with illicit behaviour, illicit drug trafficking,” he added.

Aryan Khan had lived abroad for some time, and lot of things are legitimate in other countries, the lawyer added.

Earlier, Aryan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, who were among those arrested by the NCB on October 3, had been denied bail by a magistrate’s court which said it can not hear the pleas in a case triable by a special NDPS court.

While Aryan and Merchant are lodged at Arthur Road jail, Dhamecha is at Byculla women’s prison in the city.

An NCB team, led by its zonal director Sameer Wankhede, raided the Goa-bound Cordelia cruise on October 2 evening and allegedly seized drugs.

Pune Police Issue Lookout Circular Against ‘Detective’ Who Took Selfie With Aryan Khan

Kiran Gosavi is named as an accused in a 2018 cheating case.

New Delhi: The Pune police have issued a lookout circular against Kiran P. Gosavi, a ‘private detective’ who took a viral selfie with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan after the latter was detained by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 2.

The Nationalist Party Congress leader Nawab Malik had said that Gosavi and Manish Bhanushali, who was also seen with the persons detained by the NCB after the raid, had links with the BJP. The presence of civilians with the NCB team also caused controversy, but the agency claimed that they were “independent witnesses”.

The lookout circular was issued against Gosavi in connection with a 2018 cheating case registered in Pune, a top official told news agency PTI on Wednesday. A lookout circular is a notice that prevents a person from leaving the country.

“We have issued a lookout circular notice against K.P. Gosavi, who has been absconding in a 2018 cheating case registered against him with the Faraskhana police station,” Pune police commissioner Amitabh Gupta said.

Gosavi is one of the nine “independent witnesses” who were part of the cruise ship raid and alleged recovery of drugs, in which son Aryan Khan was arrested.

According to the police, Gosavi was booked for allegedly duping a Pune-based man on the pretext of offering a job in Malaysia.

Chinmay Deshmukh alleged that he was cheated to the tune of Rs 3.09 lakh by Gosavi and registered the complaint. The complaint said that Deshmukh had contacted Gosavi, who had put out an advertisement on social media about some vacancy in the hotel industry in Malaysia.

“While promising a job in Malaysia, Gosavi took Rs 3.09 lakh from him in installments. However, he neither offered any job to him nor paid his money back,” an official from Faraskhana police station said.

The complaint against Gosavi was registered in 2018 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 420 (cheating), and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.

According to Indian Express, Gosavi is also named as an accused in three other cases of cheating. One of these is registered at Mumbai’s Andheri police station in 2007 and the other two at Thane’s Kapurbawdi police station in 2015 and 2016.

Allahabad HC Keeps in Abeyance Bail Granted to Ex-UP Minister Gayatri Prajapati

The Uttar Pradesh government had challenged the bail granted to Prajapati by the special court for MPs/MLAs on July 30, 2021.

Lucknow: The Allahabad high court has kept in abeyance an order of the special court granting bail to ex-Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati in a cheating case.

The Uttar Pradesh government had challenged the bail granted to Prajapati by the special court for MPs/MLAs on July 30, 2021.

The Lucknow bench of the high court issued notice to the politician and sought his response on the state government’s application seeking cancellation of bail granted to him.

Also Read: ED Sends Former UP Minister Gayatri Prajapati to 7-Day Custody in Money Laundering Case

A bench of Justice Rajeev Singh passed the order on October 9 after taking note of the arguments of additional advocate general V.K. Shahi that the special court granted bail to Prajapati without considering the statements of the witnesses and his criminal history.

The bench was told that the accused was in jail since July 30, 2021.

Brij Bhuwan Chaube, a director of Prajapati’s company, had lodged the FIR with Gomtinagar police station on September 17, 2020, in the case.

It was alleged that by extending threats, Prajapati had got a plot situated in Khargapur transferred to a woman, who had lodged a gang rape case against him in order to settle the case.

CBI Books Billionaire Diamond Merchant in Rs 280 Crore Cheating Case

Nirav Modi, who had figured in the Forbes’ list of richest Indians, has been named in the cheating case on a complaint from the Punjab National Bank

Nirav Modi, who had figured in the Forbes’ list of richest Indians, has been named in the cheating case on a complaint from the Punjab National Bank.

Diamond merchant Nirav Modi. Credit: Facebook/Nirav Modi

New Delhi: The CBI has booked diamond merchant Nirav Modi, his brother, wife and a business partner for allegedly cheating the Punjab National Bank (PNB) of over Rs 280.70 crore in 2017, officials said.

The agency had recently carried out searches at 21 locations, including the residence of Modi, his brother Nishal, wife Ami and Mehul Chinubhai Choksi, all partners of Diamond R US, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamonds and two bank officials Gokulnath Shetty (now retired) and Manoj Kharat, also named in the FIR as accused, the officials said.

“The public servants committed abuse of official position to cause pecuniary advantage to Diamond R US, Solar Exports, Stellar Diamonds and a wrongful loss of Rs 280.70 crore to the Punjab National Bank during 2017,” the FIR has alleged.

The searched locations included the offices and SEZ units of these companies in Mumbai and Surat, they added.

A response to an email sent to www.niravmodi.com, seeking comments on the alleged cheating case, said, “This matter has no affiliation, legal or otherwise with Firestar International Limited which is the flagship enterprise of Mr Nirav Modi.”

Modi (46), who had figured in the Forbes’ list of richest Indians, has been named in the cheating case on a complaint from the PNB, which alleged that the jewellery firm owner, his brother, wife and Choksi entered into a criminal conspiracy with the officials of the bank and cheated it, causing a “wrongful loss”, they said.

Commenting on the development, the PNB in a late night statement said, the bank “rejected” the request for roll-over of loans and decided to inform the regulator and CBI for investigation and booking of culprits.

The bank will take all necessary steps to ensure zero tolerance towards such activities by its employees and customers, it said, adding, the bank is committed to pursue the clean banking and reforms agenda of the government.

Modi, whose diamond jewelleries have been worn by international celebrities, has been charged by the CBI under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections related to criminal conspiracy, cheating and the Prevention of Corruption Act, an official said.

The bank has alleged in the complaint that a fraudulent issuance of Letters of Undertakings (LOU) took place on January 16, 2018 for and on behalf of the accused firms, which approached the bank and presented a set of import documents to the branch with a request to allow buyers’ credit for making payment to overseas suppliers.

The bank officials requested the firms to furnish 100% cash margin for LoU for raising buyers’ credit.

The firms contested this, saying they availed this facility in the past also, the complaint, now a part of the FIR, has alleged.

However, branch records did not reveal the details of any such facility granted to the said firm, it said.

The bank claimed that its deputy manager (now retired), Gokul Nath Shetty, and Manoj Kharat had fraudulently issued the LoUs without following the prescribed procedure of obtaining request applications, documents and approval of authorities and without making any entries in the bank’s systems.

The banks said they fraudulently issued eight LOUs totalling $4.42 crore, equivalent to Rs 280.70 crore, for Hong Kong-based branches of the Allahabad Bank and the Axis Bank.

The bank alleged that it was making an “in depth” inquiry to find out outstanding LOUs which were not detected in its system.

“While tracing old entries, it transpired that buyer’s credit based on fake LOUs might also have been paid through NOSTRO A/C,” it alleged.

Claiming that public money to the tune of Rs 280.70 crore seems to have been “embezzled” by committing fraud, the bank asked the CBI to register the case.