NCB Inquiry Finds ‘Grave Irregularities’ In Aryan Khan Drug Case, Says He Was Deliberately Targeted

In a new development, the NCB vigilance committee has found several irregularities and lapses in the probe related to the Cordelia Cruise drug case, in which superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan was wrongly accused of possessing drugs at the party. According to a special internal report by the NCB, the investigation is said to have many irregularities and suspicious behaviour against seven to eight officers, including a senior officer.

The NCB vigilance committee made its recommendations after multiple sources alleged unlawful detentions and extortion in the drug bust case where Aryan Khan, among others, was detained by the NCB team. The star kid was released on bail in late October last year after staying in the lockup for almost a month. He was given a clean chit in May 2022.

The vigilance committee in August had submitted a 3,000 page chargesheet against the suspected officers, not only in Aryan's case but in the other three cases as well. The officers include the NCB team who were deputed on the case and some who have left the bureau. Aryan Khan's case was headed by NCB's Mumbai Zonal officer, Sameer Wankhede.

The investigation report revealed that a special probe was carried out during which statements from 65 witnesses were recorded. Financial details of the family members of those officers involved in the case were also monitored. A few officers during the probe's course also altered their statements.

The special investigation team (SIT), which was tasked with investigating the Cordelia Cruise drug case, on October 18 submitted its vigilance report to the NCB's Delhi headquarters. The SIT identified lapses in the inquiry.

"The role of 7 to 8 NCB officers has been found to be suspicious in this case, for which departmental inquiry has been initiated. Permission has been sought from senior officers to take action against those who are outside NCB," stated an official representing NCB. The reinvestigation of the entire case led to the conclusion that the initial arrests made by Wankhede's team were an attempt to extort money from Aryan Khan, the Hindustan Times wrote. The SIT further stated that Mumbai's NCB team's actions had many "grave irregularities" and that they intended to "implicate" Aryan in this case.

The cruise raid took place on October 2, during which 13 grams of cocaine, five grams of mephedrone, 21 grams of marijuana, 22 pills of MDMA (ecstasy), and ₹1.33 lakh in cash from the vessel were seized.