Drug Case: Aryan Khan was deliberately targeted, 8 officials under scanner, says NCB

Delhi: The Vigilance Department of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has submitted its report pointing to the irregularities and “suspicious behaviour” on the part of seven to eight officers of the agency — in the investigation of the Cordelia cruise drugs case — in which popular Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested last year.

On Tuesday, NCB’s Vigilance team probing the Aryan Khan case submitted its inquiry report at Delhi headquarters, and “many shortcomings were found in the investigation”.

Notably, the Mumbai NCB was headed by Sameer Wankhede when the Aryan case was being probed.

“The investigation team of NCB has found the role of 7 to 8 NCB officers suspicious in this case. The Vigilance team of NCB found in its investigation that the Aryan Khan case was not investigated properly as Aryan Khan was deliberately targeted and why it was done is not yet known,” the NCB report said.

Apart from Aryan Khan’s case, deficiencies were also seen in the investigation of other cases, the reports of which have been sent by the Vigilance team to the Delhi Headquarters.

The vigilance team has also recommended action against the officers posted in the unit of Mumbai NCB, including the zonal director of Mumbai NCB.

The NCB has recorded the statements of 65 people.

However, in May, the Central Government directed competent authorities to take appropriate action against the former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) official Sameer Wankhede for his shoddy investigation into the cruise drug bust case involving Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

The Centre’s action came soon after the NCB gave a clean chit to Aryan Khan and five others, and did not file any chargesheet against them, citing the lack of evidence.

The Centre had directed a departmental inquiry against Wankhede for a “shoddy” probe at the time the NCB Special Investigation Team gave the clean chit to Aryan Khan.

Aryan was arrested on October 2 last year, following the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raids in Mumbai. He was granted bail 25 days after his arrest by the Bombay High Court.

Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, and Munmun Dhamecha were granted bail by the Bombay High Court on 28 October 2021.

The NCB had filed a 6,000 page charge sheet against 14 accused in the cruise drug bust case on May 27, which excludes the name of five others including Aryan Khan, who was earlier arrested in the case.

Apart from Aryan and five others, the NCB has submitted a complaint against all the 14 persons accused in the case.

An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on October 2, 2021 night. Eight persons arrested 20 people including Aryan Khan, along with other accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha in the case.