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Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Sunday claimed that Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede was part of a plot to "kidnap" Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
Aryan was last month arrested following a raid led by Wankhede on a cruise ship from which drugs were allegedly seized. However, no recovery was made from Aryan.
Ever since the probe began, Malik has been raising doubts over the conduct of the NCB officials terming the cruise drugs raid as "fake". He has also levelled a series allegations against Wankhede.
Malik today claimed that Mohit Bharatiya, former president of Mumbai BJP's youth wing, was the "mastermind" of the plot to kidnap Aryan for ransom.
He claimed Wankhede had met Bharatiya at a 'kabarastan' (graveyard) in suburban Oshiwara. "But, because of his (Wankhede's) good luck, we couldn't get the footage since police's CCTV was not functioning. Hence, out of fear, Wankhede had lodged a false complaint that he was being stalked," Malik said.
"The alleged cruise rave party was a plot to kidnap Aryan Khan for ransom, of which Mohit Bharatiya was the mastermind," the minister alleged. He also accused Wankhede of being involved in the plot and said that Bharatiya was a member of his "private army".
Malik accused Wankhede of creating fear among drug consumers while protecting peddlers and traffickers. He claimed the trap to kidnap Aryan Khan was laid through Rishabh Sachdeva, the brother-in-law of Bharatiya.
" ₹25 crore were sought, and the deal was finalised at ₹18 crore... ₹50 lakh were given. The deal got spoilt because the selfie of K P Gosavi (NCB's witness in the cruise drugs case) with Aryan, after his arrest, became viral," he claimed.
He further said that Aryan was taken to the cruise party by Pratik Gabba and Aamir Furniturewala. However, he said, Sachdeva, Gabba and Furniturewala were let off by the NCB.
Malik further said there have been attempts to frighten Shah Rukh Khan that since he "gave an amount of ₹50 lakh", he too becomes an accused. "I appeal to him not to get scared. If your child is kidnapped and ransom is sought and the parent pays it, he is the victim and not the accused," he said.
Mohit Bharatiya on Saturday had alleged that one Sunil Patil, "who is closely associated with NCP leaders including former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh", is the mastermind of the cruise drug case.
Today, Malik claimed Patil did not belong to the NCP and he had never met him.
With inputs from PTI
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