The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is yet to receive a report on the forensic analysis of all the electronic evidence gathered during the probe in the Mumbai cruise drugs case, allegedly involving Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.
NCB Deputy Director-General Sanjay Kumar Singh on Wednesday told The Hindu the report was still awaited and that the investigation was under way. Earlier, Mr. Aryan’s electronic devices had also been collected by the agency for the examination of contents.
Responding to news reports claiming that the NCB’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) had not found any evidence that Mr. Aryan was part of a larger drugs conspiracy or an international drugs trafficking syndicate, Mr. Singh — who is also the SIT chief — released a statement, saying they were not true.
“As far as the media reports on non-availability of evidence against Aryan Khan are concerned, these are not true and are just speculations, and nothing else. These statements were not crosschecked with NCB before being published. Investigation is not yet completed and it is premature to say anything at this stage,” he said.
The case pertains to the searches conducted under the supervision of then NCB’s Mumbai Zone Director Sameer Wankhede on a cruise yacht in the intervening night of October 2 and 3. Subsequently, the agency had arrested Mr. Aryan and others under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. He was later granted bail and released on October 30.
The agency has so far arrested 20 persons, including two Nigerian nationals, in connection with the case. It is learnt that the NCB will soon be recording the statements of some more witnesses and suspects.
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In November last year, following various allegations against Mr. Wankhede, the special team of the NCB’s Delhi Headquarters had taken over the probe in the case and five others. The agency had then said the decision was taken to conduct deeper investigation to find out “forward and backward linkages” in those cases.
While Mr. Wankhede refuted the charges against him, the NCB’s Vigilance Department had initiated an inquiry to determine the veracity of the allegations. The proceedings are in the final stages, according to an agency official.
