Mumbai: A city-based businessman claimed on Saturday that he was privy to how Aryan Khan, actor Shah Rukh Khan's son, was "framed up" in the NCB's alleged drug bust on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.
Aryan (23), who got bail from the high court after spending three weeks in prison following his arrest on October 3, was implicated by some people to make money, businessman Vijay Pagare told Marathi news channels.
It was a pre-planned raid, he said, further claiming that he knew the people involved in this episode, including NCB witness Kiran Gosavi whose selfie with Aryan, had gone viral.
Earlier, Prabhakar Sail, an independent witness used by the NCB, had alleged that some officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau had tried to extort money for letting off Aryan.
The NCB has already launched an inquiry into the allegations.
Meanwhile, the Special Enquiry Team (SET) formed to look into allegations of an extortion attempt against NCB officials in connection with the drugs-on-cruise ship case will return to Mumbai on Monday. The five-member SET, headed by NCB Deputy Director General Gyaneshwar Singh, was formed to conduct an inquiry into allegations made by independent witness Prabhakar Sail and others. It had left Mumbai before Diwali after failing to record Sail's statement.
The SET will return to Mumbai on Monday and will resume the inquiry, said the official. It will record statements of everyone who is named in an affidavit filed by Sail, he said.
"First we want to record Sail's statement because he is a crucial witness," the official added.
When asked if Shah Rukh Khan's manager Pooja Dadlani's statement will be recorded, the official said whoever was connected to the case will be questioned.
Dadlani had been allegedly contacted by some persons involved in the attempt to extort money after Aryan was apprehended.
The SET had stayed in the city from October 27 to 30 and recorded statements of eight persons including Wankhede, but could not contact Sail. It had also asked for help from Mumbai police who are conducting a separate probe in the extortion allegation and who had recorded Sail's statement.
