A witness in the Mumbai drugs bust case, KP Gosavi, whose selfie with Aryan Khan had gone viral, told CNN-News18 on Monday that he will surrender as there is a threat to his life. Gosavi’s driver Prabhakar Sail had on Sunday alleged a Rs 25-crore money deal made on behalf of NCB to let off Aryan Khan, a charge that was dismissed by the probe agency.
Gosavi, allegedly a private investigator, is one of the nine independent witnesses in the drugs bust case. Pune police had recently issued a lookout circular against him in connection with a 2018 cheating case registered in the city.
In a purported video, Sail, who is allegedly employed as a personal bodyguard to Gosavi, had said that he is “scared of Sameer Wankhede” and for his life. He also claimed in the video that “his signatures were taken on blank papers by the NCB officials”. “There was discussion of a bribe to Sameer Wankhede…I collected Rs 50 lakh in cash,” Sail had allegedly said in Marathi.
Sameer Wankhede, Zonal Director of the NCB, had spearheaded the drug bust at a cruise off the Mumbai coast on October 3, leading to the arrest of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, among others.
Gosavi discussed the allegations with CNN-News18, saying he would surrender as he “can’t tolerate more”. He said he had never met Shah Rukh’s manager Pooja Dadlani or went to the Trident Hotel for extorting money.
Gosavi further clarified that the selfie that had gone viral had been taken on the cruise terminal and not at the NCB office. He said he had received information about the drugs racket from a source and informed the NCB. He claimed there was a threat to his life, and he had received several extortion calls after October 3, adding that political agendas were behind it.
Meanwhile, sources told News18 that Gosavi may surrender in Uttar Pradesh.
Sail on Sunday had told media persons that he had overheard Gosavi telling one Sam D’Souza over the phone (after Aryan Khan was brought to the NCB office following the raid) about a demand of Rs 25 crore, and to settle at Rs 18 crore as they “have to give Rs eight crore to Sameer Wankhede”.
Sail had said that after the raid, Gosavi, accompanied by NCB officials, took Aryan Khan in a white Innova car to the NCB office. He said and D’souza followed Gosavi in another car, claiming that the they later went to Lower Parel, where a blue colour Mercedes car carrying Shah Rukh Khan’s manager Pooja Dadlani arrived at a particular spot.
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Gosavi and Dadlani sat in that car and started talking, Sail had claimed. He said they all left after 15 minutes, adding that Rs 50 lakh was delivered to Gosavi by two persons, and he later returned Rs 38 lakh.
Meanwhile, the NCB had on Sunday responded to the claims in an official statement, saying as Sail was a witness in the case, which is before the court and sub-judice, he needed to “submit his prayer to the Honorable court rather than through social media if he has anything to say”.
The statement, signed by NCB DDG Mutha Ashok, also added that Wankhede has categorically denied the allegations. “In addition, there are certain vigilance related allegations against certain persons in the affidavit which are based on overhearing by Mr Prabhakar. As some of the contents of the affidavit relate to vigilance matters, I am hereby by forwarding the affidavit to Director General Narcotics Control Bureau and requesting him for further necessary action,” the statement had said.
Wankhede had later in the day requested Mumbai police commissioner to ensure no legal action is falsely carried out against him based on “ulterior motives”. Wankhede, in a letter to the commissioner, said that some “unknown persons” are involved in initiating legal action against him in relation to the drug bust case.
With inputs from Herman Agnelo Gomes.
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