Aryan Khan case: Despite two summons, SRK's manager Pooja Dadlani yet to record statement

Pooja Dadlani at the session court for the hearing of the drugs-on-cruise case. File pic/Suresh Karkera

As the inquiry by Mumbai Police's Special Enquiry Team (SET) has hit a roadblock after Shah Rukh Khan's manager, Pooja Dadlani, again did not come forward to record her statement, cops are now exploring legal opinion. Dadlani's statement is crucial to the ongoing investigation as well as filing of the FIR in the drugs-on-cruise case, said police officers.

According to sources, Dadlani has sought time citing health reasons.

The SET has briefed the Mumbai Police commissioner about the ongoing inquiry. The team will issue a third summons to Dadlani, and if she does not turn up, cops will act as per legal remedies available. "Two summons have already been issued to her but she has not turned up. We will act as per the law," a police officer said.

Meanwhile, police officers recorded the statement of Sam D'Souza on Monday. So far, statements of 20 people have been recorded.

NCB's panch witness Prabhakar Sail has, in his affidavit, alleged that D'Souza was a middleman and was instrumental in connecting KP Gosavi, another panch witness, and Manish Bhansali, a BJP worker. Sail also alleged that he overheard a conversation between D'Souza and Gosavi about a R25-crore deal, of which R8 crore was supposed to go to NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede.

However, D'Souza, in a TV interview, has confessed that Dadlani gave money to Gosavi in a bid to release Aryan Khan. He further said that after the deal got stuck, he and another middleman Sunil Patil helped Dadlani get the money back. He has also given a clean chit to Wankhede and his team and said that they were not involved in the case.

The SET, on Monday, questioned D'Souza regarding the allegations by Sail as well as his association with NCB officers.