India / Wankhede writes to Mumbai Police chief, seeks protection against 'false charges'

Mumbai: Sameer Wankhede, zonal director of NCB's Mumbai unit, has written a letter to the Mumbai Police Commissioner requesting him to "ensure that no precipitate legal action is carried out" against him by "unknown persons"

with "ulterior motives" to frame him. He has sought protection from the Mumbai Police.

This comes hours after an independent witness in the Mumbai cruise drugs case, Prabhakar Sail, alleged that Rs 25 crore had been demanded on behalf of Sameer Wankhede to let off Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan. Aryan Khan was arrested in the case on October 3.

In his letter on Sunday, Sameer Wankhede wrote, "It has come to my notice that some precipitate legal action for framing me falsely is being planned by unknown persons in relation to alleged vigilance related issue."

He added that he had "threats of jail and dismissal" had been issued against him on "public media by highly respectable public functionaries".

Earlier in the day, Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik had said he would meet the chief minister and state home minister to seek an inquiry into the allegations against Sameer Wankhede. Nawab Malik has levelled several allegations, including that of extortion, against Sameer Wankhede.

In his letter to the Mumbai police chief, Sameer Wankhede also said that the matter has already been referred to the Director General of the NCB.

The NCB also released a statement on the issue. The statement said, "As he [Prabhakar Sail] is a witness in the case and the case is before the court and sub-judice, he needs to submit his prayer to the court rather than through social media if he has anything to say... Our zonal director Sameer Wankhede has categorically denied these allegations."

WHAT HAD THE WITNESS SAID?

In a notarised affidavit, Prabhakar Sail, the bodyguard of NCB witness KP Gosavi, claimed the latter had demanded Rs 25 crore on behalf of NCB's Sameer Wankhede to let Aryan Khan off in the Mumbai cruise drug case.

KP Gosavi, whose selfie with Aryan Khan went viral, is a witness in the case and is absconding at present. He is also wanted by the Pune and Palghar police in cheating cases.

Speaking exclusively to India Today, Prabhakar Sail claimed that he was witness to dramatic developments regarding the exchange of money after Aryan Khan's arrest. In his affidavit, he said he accompanied KP Gosavi on the night of the raid on the cruise ship.

Earlier in the day, Prabhakar Sail had also alleged that he was made to sign a blank panchnama by the NCB in the case. He said he felt a threat to his life from Sameer Wankhede after KP Gosavi went 'suspiciously missing'.