NCB witness in Aryan Khan case dies of 'heart attack'; Maha home minister orders probe

Prabhakar Sail. File pic

The Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB) panch witness in the Cordelia cruise drug case, Prabhakar Sail passed away on Friday evening.

According to Sail's lawyer, Tushar Khandare, he died due to heart attack.

Sail, who was the body Gaurd of another panch witness KP Gosavi has made serious allegations against the former NCB zonal Director Sameer Wankhede. He had claimed that Gosavi had said Rs 8 crore of the deal money was to be given to Wankhede. Following his allegations, the NCB started a vigilance inquiry. He had also alleged that his signature were taken on blank paper by Wankhede. Wankhede denied all the allegations.

Reacting to the sudden death of Panch Prabhakar Sail, Dilip Walse-Patil, Home minister of Maharashtra has ordered a probe.

Dilip Walse Patil said, "This is a really sad incident that such a healthy person dies of suicide, it gives rise to suspicion. I have asked the Director General of Police, Maharashtra to carry out a probe into the matter to know the exact reason behind the death. The probe will reveal whether there is any foul play."

So far 19 people are arrested in the cruise drugs case. After a series of allegations against the NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, the case was transferred to SIT headed by DDG Sanjay Singh of NCB.

Aryan Khan, along with his friends Munmun Dhamecha and Arbaaz Merchant, were arrested by the NCB following a raid at Mumbai's International Cruise Terminal on October 3, 2021.

The NCB had seized 13 grams of cocaine, 5 grams of mephedrone, 21 grams of charas and 22 MDMA/Ecstasy pills during the raid on the Cordelia cruise from Mumbai to Goa.