Mumbai: After filing a defamation case against Aryan Khan and Shah Rukh Khan over their show, ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’, former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede now opened up about the 2021 drug case in which the star kid was arrested.
Breaking his silence on the controversy surrounding the arrest of Aryan in the drugs-on-cruise case, Wankhede denied making the star kid a scapegoat and addressed how drug cases are dealt with.
In a recent interview on the YouTube channel Mama’s Couch, Wankhede, bound by an affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court not to discuss Aryan directly, defended the agency’s actions in the high-profile investigation and said, “People have this misconception that if no drugs were found on you, there won’t be any action. If someone is caught with drugs, then someone must have manufactured it, someone must have supplied it, and someone must have intended to buy it. The law requires that the entire chain be investigated. So, no, there was no scapegoat. Every arrest was based on conscious possession, electronic evidence, and statements.”
Countering allegations that the case was mishandled and clarifying that such investigations involve several officials and multiple stages of verification, he said, “It’s not just Wankhede who’s doing it all. There are a lot of procedures.”
While addressing allegations of leaking Shah Rukh and his private chats during controversy, he said, “Leaking would be the wrong word. It’s neither my habit nor am I so weak to do such things.”
On October 2, 2021, Aryan was arrested following a raid on the Cordelia Empress cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.
The cruise was allegedly hosting a rave party when the NCB raided the ship and detained several prominent individuals including Aryan and his friend Arbaaz Merchant.
After spending 25 days in custody, Aryan was granted bail.
Months later, the star kid was given a clean chit by the NCB’s Special Investigation Team, as no evidence linking him to drug consumption or trafficking was found.
Recently, Wankhede filed a suit against Shah Rukh, Aryan, and the makers of ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ over a character apparently resembling him.
Calling the portrayal “false, malicious, and defamatory,” the former NCB officer demanded ₹2 crore in damages from Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix.
However, the Delhi High Court dismissed the complaint on September 25.
