Drugs-on-cruise case: 'Wankhede gave freehand to independent witnesses to create 'NCB official' image'

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR against Sameer Wankhede says that the NCBs vigilance report found that his assets do not justify his acquired asset.

"Further inquiries have also been done in the matters of allegations of criminal misconduct & corrupt practices of Sameer Wankhede and Ashish Ranjan independently, which could not sufficiently justify their acquired assets as per their declared income." The FIR reads.

The FIR further states that he was not able to explain his foreign visits and expensive watches. "It has also come to the notice of the Vigilance Branch of NCB that Wankhede has not properly explained his foreign visits and had apparently mis-declared the expenditure on his foreign travels. He has also not declared the source of his foreign visits properly."

"It was also found that Sameer Wankhede has indulged himself in the sale and purchase of expensive wristwatches with a private entity, Viral Rajan, without intimating the department (present or parent)." The FIR reads further.

Also Read: Mumbai: Sameer Wankhede booked for graft, extortion in drugs-on-cruise case

In the FIR it was also revealed that Wankhede gave freehand to panch witnesses KP Gosavi to create an image that he is an NCB official and he took a selfie and recorded Aryan Khan's voice to extort money which was initially Rs 25 crore and later it was settled for Rs 18 crore of which Rs 50 lakh was taken by Gosavi but it was later returned.

"The inquiry conducted by SET has further revealed that the accused persons were brought to the NCB office in a private vehicle of the independent witness K.P. Gosavi. It appeared that the presence of the independent witness KP Gosavi around accused persons was created intentionally in such a manner so as to give an impression that KP Gosavi was an NCB personnel even though there was NCB personnel to handle the custody of the accused persons." The FIR says.

According to CBI, the independent witness KP Gosavi was allowed to be present in the company of accused persons and even allowed to come to the NCB office after the raid which is against the norms for an independent witness. In this manner, K.P. Gosavi took the freedom and-clicked selfies and recorded the voice note of an accused.

The FIR further added, was this position that allowed KP Gosavi and his aide Sanvile D'Souza amongst others to enter into the conspiracy to extort an amount of Rs 25 crores from the family members of the alleged 'accused', Aryan Khan by threatening them of the accusation of offences of possession of Narcotics substances. This amount was finally settled for Rs 18 crores. A token amount of Rs 50 lakhs, bribe money was also taken by KP Gosavi and his aide Sanvile D'Souza but later a part of the bribe money was returned back by them.

"Sameer Wankhede, in the capacity of the immediate supervisory officer had directed to take KP Gosavi and Prabhakar Sail as the independent witness in the proceedings against the accused and directed VV Singh to let KP Gosavi handle the accused while taking him to NCB Office thereby allowing freehand to KP Gosavi and others in order to create such a visual impression of KP Gosavi having the custody of the accused and escorting/dragging him towards NCB Mumbai office," says the CBI FIR against Wankhede.