Showing posts with label Sam Dsouza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sam Dsouza. Show all posts
SIT may fold probe into ‘extortion’ charges in Aryan Khan arrest case
8:03 AM
THE TIMES OF INDIA (December 23, 2021)
Mumbai: The special investigation team Mumbai Police probing allegations of extortion in the arrest of actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan in a drug case is likely to close it as the actor’s manager Pooja Dadlani, who is alleged to have handed over the money, is yet to appear for giving her statement.
A senior police officer said police have sent summons twice to Dadlani, but she has not appeared before the SIT. Asked if police were thinking of closing the inquiry, a senior IPS officer told TOI that in the event of Dadlani not appearing, they are likely to close it.
A senior police officer said, “There is no official complaint of extortion. It was expected the victim would approach SIT for recording the statement. However, so far no one has come forward. We are still hoping that the aggrieved party will meet the SIT members.”
Aryan Khan was arrested by the NCB on October 3 in a drug case. He was released from jail on October 30.
Kiran Gosavi, one of the witnesses, was arrested by Pune police in October in connection with a cheating case. Gosavi’s bodyguard, Prabhakar Sail, had submitted a complaint before MRA Marg police alleging he had overheard Gosavi talking to one Sam D’souza about money being demanded in Aryan’s case for his release. It is alleged that Gosavi wanted to contact Khan to extort money. He with the help of D’souza allegedly met a Bandra hotelier, who reportedly connected him to Khan’s manager Dadlani. D’souza had earlier claimed Gosavi and others had taken Rs 50 lakh from Dadlani but returned the money. The SIT had recorded Gosavi’s statement.
Police, after getting an application, formed an SIT, which collected CCTV footage of places mentioned in Sail’s application where he alleged money was given. “We have recorded statements of 19 to 20 people,” said an officer. The police have recorded statements of D’souza, Sail, and others. After the first summons, Dadlani did not appear before SIT citing health issues. A second summons has been issued, said the officer.
Aryan Khan case: Why the parallel drugs-on-cruise probe has stalled
8:13 AM
SRK’s manager Pooja Dadlani’s refusal to record her statement with Mumbai police has meant their case is dead in the water due to crucial lack of a complainant
Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; December 22, 2021)
The thin line between extortion and bribery has forced Mumbai Police’s Special Enquiry Team (SET) to put an enquiry on hold. The SET was formed to enquire into the alleged extortion by NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) officials in connection with the drugs-on-cruise case to release actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan. The other reason for the police’s enquiry reaching a dead end is SRK’s manager Pooja Dadlani not appearing before them despite multiple summons. She has given medical reasons for not joining the probe.
The Mumbai police, which formed the SET last month, also took legal opinion and believes that Dadlani is not legally bound to appear before them as they are only conducting an enquiry and no offence has been registered. “We have recorded multiple statements and Dadlani's statement is very crucial to move ahead and register an FIR in the case because she is the victim. Either she or Shah Rukh Khan has to complain,” an officer said. “As Dadlani has not appeared before the SET, the enquiry has been put on hold and further legal opinion has been sought in the case,” another officer added.
“Criminal law can be set in motion by anyone. They can register an FIR if they know an offence has been committed but the complainant's statement is needed during investigation. After registering an FIR, they can summon anyone and the person is legally bound to appear before them. In this case, if the victim comes forward after the FIR and says that no extortion has happened, they can close the case,” senior lawyer Rizwan Merchant told mid-day.
After NCB witness Prabhakar Sail's claim, the NCB said that Dadlani tried to influence the witnesses and the investigation. The NCB’s vigilance team is also conducting a probe against Wankhede and other witnesses to check if any attempts were made to extort money from SRK to release his son. The NCB vigilance team headed by IPS Gyaneshwar Singh has recorded the statement of multiple people but not yet submitted their report.
Awaiting vigilance team report
Now the Mumbai police are enquiring about the alleged extortion case and have put it on hold waiting for the report from vigilance team of NCB. “The NCB has the upper hand in the case as Aryan got arrested. They can say that Dadlani tried to bribe the officers to get a favour which was to release Aryan Khan. The Mumbai police’s SET has not found any evidence against NCB officials in the ongoing probe. To investigate the role of NCB officials, first they have to register an FIR,” said an officer of the Maharashtra police.
The officer also said that the Mumbai police are waiting for the NCB vigilance report because if it is a case of bribery (Did Dadlani try to bride an NCB official - K P Gosavi allegedly told her he was one - to free Aryan), then it becomes the exclusive jurisdiction of NCB to take action against their own officers, and to find if they demanded a bribe to do a favour or they were offered certain favours.
Experts speak
P S Pasricha, former Commisioner of Mumbai police said, “The Mumbai police should try and find whether the victim is scared or deliberately avoiding coming forward. If the victim is scared they should talk to him/her and assured them of full security. In cases of extortion they need the victim to register an FIR, in other cases like murder or any other offence cops can become complainant.”
“Extortion is a crime wherein the accused demands goods, services or money through coercion against the will of another and blackmail is noticed. Bribery is offering and giving anything of value as a means of influencing the actions of a person holding public office. Solicitation of a bribe clearly is also a criminal activity. There is also a thin line as an unwilling bribe giver in a given case can be trapped in a web created by the conspirators which would involve blackmail and coercion,” said senior lawyer Dr Sujay Kantawala. Dadlani did not respond to this reporter’s messages.
Why SET was formed
The Mumbai police had formed the SET in November to probe the claim of one of NCB’s panch witnesses (Prabhakar Sail) who gave an affidavit and a complaint saying nothing was found on Aryan and he was framed. He also alleged that as witness he was forced to sign on a plain sheet of paper. He also said that he overheard conversation between his boss K P Gosavi and Sam Dsouza (the middle man who helped Gosavi get in touch with Dadlani) about demanding Rs 24 crore and settling everything for Rs 18 crore as Rs 8 crore was supposed to go to NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede. However, when D’Souza came forward, he said that NCB was never involved in this it was all done by Gosavi who allegedly impersonated an NCB officer and had a meeting with Dadlani twice. Later, Rs 50 lakh was given to D’Souza by Dadlani. The money was handed over to Sail and he gave it to Gosavi and later it was returned to Dadlani after everything was messed up and Aryan got arrested in the case.
Despite two summons, Shah Rukh Khan's manager Pooja Dadlani yet to record statement
8:31 AM
Dadlani’s statement is crucial to the ongoing investigation as well as filing of the FIR in the drugs-on-cruise case, said police officers
Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; November 16, 2021)
As the inquiry by Mumbai Police's Special Enquiry Team (SET) has hit a roadblock after Shah Rukh Khan’s manager, Pooja Dadlani, again did not come forward to record her statement, cops are now exploring legal opinion. Dadlani’s statement is crucial to the ongoing investigation as well as filing of the FIR in the drugs-on-cruise case, said police officers. According to sources, Dadlani has sought time citing health reasons.
The SET has briefed the Mumbai Police commissioner about the ongoing inquiry. The team will issue a third summons to Dadlani, and if she does not turn up, cops will act as per legal remedies available. “Two summons have already been issued to her but she has not turned up. We will act as per the law,” a police officer said.
Meanwhile, police officers recorded the statement of Sam D’Souza on Monday. So far, statements of 20 people have been recorded.
NCB’s panch witness Prabhakar Sail has, in his affidavit, alleged that D’Souza was a middleman and was instrumental in connecting K P Gosavi, another panch witness, and Manish Bhansali, a BJP worker. Sail also alleged that he overheard a conversation between D’Souza and Gosavi about a R25-crore deal, of which R8 crore was supposed to go to NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede.
However, D’Souza, in a TV interview, has confessed that Dadlani gave money to Gosavi in a bid to release Aryan Khan. He further said that after the deal got stuck, he and another middleman Sunil Patil helped Dadlani get the money back. He has also given a clean chit to Wankhede and his team and said that they were not involved in the case.
The SET, on Monday, questioned D’Souza regarding the allegations by Sail as well as his association with NCB officers.
Sameer Wankhede was a part of Aryan Khan kidnap plot, says Nawab Malik; officer denies claim
8:14 AM
Sanjay Singh, head of the SIT formed by NCB, at the NCB office on Sunday. Pic/Bipin Kokate
Prafulla Marpakwar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; November 8, 2021)
Mumbai: NCP cabinet minister Nawab Malik on Sunday alleged that NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) zonal director Sameer Wankhede was part of a conspiracy to kidnap actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan for ransom and BJP functionary Mohit Bharatiya was the mastermind of the plan. Malik made it clear that his fight was neither against the BJP nor the NCB, but he will continue his campaign against the “wrongdoers in the system”.
Both Wankhede and Bhartiya denied Malik’s charges, saying they are baseless and false. Calling them a “bunch of lies”, Wankhede said: “Malik is raising allegations without any basis. Aryan was produced before the magistrate’s court and sessions court, where he said he had no complaints against the NCB. In the Bombay High Court too, during the bail hearing, neither Aryan nor his lawyer levelled any allegations against the NCB. The defence even filed an affidavit in the HC saying they are staying away from statements made by a politician.”
But Malik said: “I am making the statement with full responsibility. Wankhede was the party of the kidnap plot in collaboration with Bharatiya, who is the part of his private army. Initially, the deal was fixed for Rs 25 crore. It was reduced to Rs 18 crore after negotiations, and Rs 50 lakh was given. Unfortunately, the deal did not work out owing to NCB witness Kiran Gosavi’s selfie with Aryan, which went viral.”
Malik said he has confirmed information that Bharatiya met Wankhede near a graveyard in Oshiwara. “They were lucky that the CCTV camera near the kabarasatan has not been operational for a long time, otherwise the footage would show the meeting.” He further claimed that Kashiff Khan, the managing director of Fashion TV India and alleged organizer of the “rave party” on the cruise liner, had invited Mumbai city guardian minister Aslam Shaikh and the children of the cabinet members in the MVA government on the ship. “But Shaikh refused his invitation,” Malik said. He also alleged that besides Bharatiya, his brother-in-law Rishabh Saachdeva, Pratik Gabba and Aamir Furniturewala were instrumental in taking Aryan to the cruise ship. “Why were they not arrested by Wankhede,” he asked.
Bharatiya said Malik and Sunil Patil, who first gave a tip off to the NCB about the cruise party, were friends for 20 years. “When Patil used to party in The Lalit hotel, Malik would go too. Today, Malik has confirmed his relations with him; it’s a conspiracy set up by the NCP along with Patil,” he said. “I had earlier said that a cabinet minister, who has relations with drug peddlers, was involved in a cruise party. Today Malik has confirmed that Shaikh has relations with Khan and that the children of NCP leaders and ministers were in contact with peddlers and were invited to parties.”
“I am open for any inquiry...Malik should prove his allegations,” said Bharatiya. “I will go to court on all the allegations. I have also filed cases in the court for defamation...The NCP must clarify its relations with Patil...”
(Inputs by Chaitanya Marpakwar)
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Even as new team of drugs police takes over contentious case, no let-up in barrage of allegations levelled by NCP’s Nawab Malik
Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; November 8, 2021)
Addressing his ninth press conference after the arrest of Aryan Khan, now out on bail, state minister Nawab Malik said on Sunday that an informer named Sanville D’Souza, alias Sam, orchestrated a deal between NCB officer Sameer Wankhede and Shah Rukh Khan’s manager Pooja Dadlani to let the actor’s son walk away. The matter wouldn’t have blown up had K P Gosavi’s selfie with Aryan not gone viral, said the minister.
Malik said Sam is an accused in the agency’s weed bakery case, but he was never arrested despite being summoned. Keeping up his allegations against Narcotics Control Bureau’s Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede has his own army to extort money from people and D’Souza was a part of it. Malik also said that some other NCB officers were also involved in what he called Wenkhede’s design. He said D’Souza was summoned by the NCB in June. Malik shared on Twitter what he claimed to be a copy of the summons.
The minister shared an audio clip purportedly between a top NCB officer and D’Souza. The officer purportedly tells D’Souza to report before the agency and that he should not “think of changing his phone as he has all IMEI details”. On D’Souza’s request, the officer gives him more time, claims the audio clip.
“I want to ask the agency why he was not arrested and what happened after the summons? As per my information, he [Sam D’Souza] paid some amount to the officer and became an informer. He was just involved in making deals for NCB and collecting money as we can see what is happening in the cruise drug case. He is one of the main culprits behind the extortion money taken from Pooja Dadlani,” Malik said.
The minister said he has nothing against NCB. “I am not saying that entire NCB is fraud but because of one person and his army, the image of NCB is at stake and the senior officers should not let this happen, they should probe and find the truth.”
A source from the NCB requesting anonymity said, “He [Sam D’Souza] was called for clarity based on some facts that surfaced during the investigation. He was not arrested as there was not enough material against him.” The officer also said that D’Souza was summoned in a case of one accused who is the son of a former ACP of Mumbai police.
‘Not scared over SIT probing six cases’
Malik said one of the six cases taken over by the NCB’s SIT is the one involving his son-in-law Sameer Khan. He said if this is an attempt to browbeat him, he won’t submit to such tactics. Claiming that there is apparent pressure on SRK and his manager, he said, “I urged them that they are victims and they should fear about anything.”
Meanwhile, Sunil Patil, another mysterious personality in the alleged extortion attempt from SRK’s manager Dadlani, came forward following D’Souza allegations that it was Patil who had introduced him to NCB’s panch witnesses K P Gosavi and Manish Bhanushali. Patil told the press that D’Souza is known him since the last one year. “He [D’souza] called me that he had information about the Cordelia cruise arty and wanted me to help and I connected him with Bhanushali and Gosavi. After everything happened I got involved again and because of my intervention, Gosavi returned all the money to Sam D’Souza,” said Patil.
Patil also said that D’Souza wanted his help over the NCB summons. “I told him that I don’t know anyone in NCB. He later asked for monetary help as he was supposed to pay to someone in the NCB. He was let off after he paid R25 lakh,” Patil said.
‘No connection with Malik’
Patil said he has no connection with NCB and Nawab Malik as alleged by BJP’s Mohit Kamboj, alias Bharatiya. “I was associated with NCP till 2016 and after that I am not with any political party. The allegations made by Kamboj is baseless I have never met Malik I spoke to him once on October 10 after his press conference on the Aryan Khan case.”
Patil, who gave his statement to the Mumbai police SIT that is probing the extortion allegations against Wankhede and others on witness Prabhakar Sail’s complaint, said he was threatened and beaten in a Delhi hotel by Manish Bhanushali and others. He said they were forcing him to speak to the media in favour of Wankhede.
SIT summons Aryan, others
NCB’s SIT lead IPS Sanjay Singh had issued summons to Aryan Khan to record his fresh statement on Sunday, but he didn’t appear citing personal reasons. Singh said Aryan’s friend Arbaaz Merchant and another accused Aachit Kumar recorded their statement. They were with the SIT for about 9 hours.
Aryan Khan framed, drug bust pre-planned, witness Vijay Pagare tells police
8:22 AM
Prafulla Marpakwar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; November 7, 2021)
Mumbai: In a twist to the cruise drug bust case of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), a person claiming to be privy to pre-raid discussions has told the city police that actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan was framed by certain individuals to make money.
“I have reasons to believe that the raid was pre-planned and Aryan Khan was framed in the drug case. The entire strategy was finalised on September 27, while the cruise ship was raided on October 2,” Vijay Pagare told TOI on Saturday.
Pagare said the high-level police SIT team recorded his statement on November 3 and 4. “My statement was read out to me, and I signed it,” he said.
Pagare said he had been staying with Sunil Patil, who had claimed he had passed on information about drugs on the cruise to the NCB. Patil’s name had come up in the statement of businessman Sam D’Souza, who had said panch witness K P Gosavi had saved Patil’s name as SW —referring to NCB zonal chief Sameer Wankhede—to show he had direct access to NCB.
Gosavi had tried to extort money from Khan’s manager Pooja Dadlani on this pretext and the matter is under investigation by the police special investigation team (SIT). D’Souza, Gosavi and Dadlani had a meeting at Lower Parel a few hours after the raid where, it is alleged, payment to NCB officials was discussed.
D’Souza claimed that Rs 50 lakh was collected from Dadlani to prevent the arrest of Aryan Khan, but he subsequently returned it when he realised that Gosavi was a cheat.
Pagare said that Patil owed him money, and he had been staying with him for the last few months in an attempt to recover it. Patil was staying at a star hotel in Vashi on September 27 and another room in the same hotel was booked in the name of Gosavi.
At the hotel, another witness, BJP worker Manish Bhanushali, Gosavi and Patil met a few days before the raid, claimed Pagare. He said he was in the hotel room when Bhanushali kissed Patil and said, “Bada kaam ho gaya (the big work has been done). We have to leave for Ahmedabad but don’t take Pagare along.”
Pagare said that he was completely clueless about all that was happening at this stage.
On October 3, just a few hours after the raid, Bhanushali allegedly returned to the hotel room. He asked Pagare to come along with him to get his money. The two then went to the office of the NCB. On the way, Bhanushali was speaking to someone on the mobile phone and took names, including Pooja, Sam and Mayur. He allegedly said Gosavi’s phone is switched off and he suspected that he had absconded after getting money.
On reaching the NCB office, Pagare said he saw journalists there and was told Aryan Khan had been detained by the NCB.
Later, he saw a news clip about the cruise party raid and saw visuals of Bhanushali and Gosavi escorting the accused.
At this point, he said he realised the raid had been pre-planned.
According to Pagare, he tried reaching out to advocate Satish Maneshinde, who was representing Aryan Khan in court, to inform him of what he knew but was not entertained.
Aryan Khan case: Not NCB officials, extortion deal was all by Kiran Gosavi, says Sam DSouza
8:17 AM
Rosy Sequeira (THE TIMES OF INDIA; November 4, 2021)
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday rejected a plea for anticipatory bail by Sam D’souza, whose name has come up in connection with the Cordelia cruise drugs case.
“The applicant has preferred the application without approaching sessions court and therefore it is rejected,” said Justice Surendra Tavade. He heard a plea by Sanville D’souza, alias Sam D’souza, who had also urged for three days’ notice before any coercive step is taken against him.
D’souza moved court apprehending arrest by the special investigation team set up by the state government to look into the payoff allegations. There was an allegation made by a witness, Prabhakar Sail, that a deal of Rs 18 crore was made for the release of Aryan Khan. Sail had specifically named D’souza as a beneficiary.
D’souza’s advocate argued that he is not arraigned as an accused and there is no FIR against him. “During the course of the whole thing, allegations made by some persons against Sameer Wankhede stating that to grant relief, he had taken money,” he said. But Justice Tavade interrupted him, saying he won’t hear the petition. “I’m not going to entertain this. You have a forum. Don’t waste my time,” he added.
The petition said D’souza is a consultant in a stone quarry business. On October 1, he was contacted by an associate Sunil Patil, who had information about drug use on Cordelia and the involvement of celebrities. Patil told Sam that Kiran Gosavi and Manish Bhanushali would contact him. Patil took NCB officials’ contact numbers from D’souza. On October 2, Patil said that a very influential person was arrested for drugs and asked D’souza to verify. Gosavi told him that Aryan was arrested and he wanted to speak to his father’s manager Pooja Dadlani.
D’souza’s petition said he contacted Dadlani through a mutual friend, a hotelier, and met her at Lower Parel. Dadlani allegedly told him she “is the decision-taker.” D’souza introduced Gosavi to Dadlani. Gosavi showed her a list in which Aryan’s name was not present and informed her that Khan had no drugs on him and he could help Aryan “get out of the situation.” Thereafter, Dadlani and Gosavi spoke in private, he said.
On October 3, D’souza said he was “shocked” to learn an FIR has been registered against Khan. After that, he learnt from Patil that Gosavi had taken Rs 50 lakh from Dadlani through Sail, who is also Gosavi’s bodyguard. D’souza said he realized Gosavi was a fraud and that his “only motive was to recover the money than be known for fraud.” Therefore he contacted Patil and Gosavi, recovered the money and returned it to Dadlani through her husband.
D’souza’s petition said he is innocent and has nothing to do with the alleged offence and he is falsely implicated by Sail.
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Seeking anticipatory bail from Bombay High Court, Sam D’Souza, who is accused of brokering a deal by another witness, says he fears arrest by Mumbai police’s special team
Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; November 4, 2021)
Sam D’Souza, the mysterious character mentioned in the affidavit of NCB’s panch witness Prabhakar Sail accused of brokering a deal between K P Gosavi and NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, has approached the Bombay HC for anticipatory bail, as he fears arrest by the SIT of Mumbai police. D’Souza in his bail application on Wednesday, said the extortion was not by NCB officers, it was Gosavi who did everything.
But after he realised that Gosavi was a fraud, the money was taken from him and returned to SRK’s manager Pooja Dadlani through her husband.
Prabhakar Sail, in his affidavit, had alleged that he overheard a telephonic conversation between Gosavi and D’Souza, where they were talking about a deal of Rs 25 crore to release Aryan Khan and wanted to settle it in Rs 18 crore, of which and Rs. 8 crore was supposed to go to Wankhede. Sail also claimed he got two bags full of cash on the instructions of Gosavi from Indiana bar in Worli. He later added that the bags had Rs. 50 lakh cash which he gave to Gosavi. He also alleged that on October 3 Gosavi asked him to meet D’Souza and gave him Rs 3.8 lakh.
D’Souza in his anticipatory bail application has corroborated the extortion deal but said that NCB officials were not involved, it was all done by Gosavi. “After coming to know that Kiran Gosavi was a fraud (he learnt about cases against him through the media), the applicant’s only motive was to recover the money and save his image. Therefore, he connected with Sunil Patil (another middle man) and Gosavi and recovered the money and returned it to Pooja Dadlani, through her husband,” he said in the bail application.
D’Souza also said that Gosavi had a number saved as SW2 (Sameer Wankhede). “I saw that Gosavi had saved a mobile no. as SW2, thereby showing that he was connected to top NCB officials; however, the true caller showed the name Prabhakar Sail,” D’Souza’s bail application reads.
‘Very influential person arrested’
D’Souza’s affidavit further reads that on October 2 he got a call from one Sunil Patil who informed him that a very influential person was arrested for drugs on the Cordelia cruise and requested the applicant to check and verify this. According to D’Souza, as Patil insisted, he along with an associate, Kapil Dhole Patil, went to the green gate in his car. “The applicant (D’Souza) was not aware of the influential person and went to the green gate where he met Gosavi and Manish Bhanushali who thanked him for helping them to connect to NCB officials. Gosavi then informed the applicant that the influential person arrested was Aryan Shah Rukh Khan,” the application reads further.
After that, D’Souza was informed by Gosavi that Aryan wanted to connect with SRK’s manager Pooja Dadlani. Gosavi also told D’Souza that Khan had no drug in his possession till that time and was innocent. “Kiran Gosavi convinced me that he could help Aryan Khan get some relief and asked me to connect with Pooja Dadlani. The applicant told Gosavi that he has no direct connection with Dadlani but he can try to connect with her,” the application said.
‘Aryan did not have drugs on him’
The application also reveals that D’Souza contacted Dadlani through a mutual friend who is a hotelier, and met her at Lower Parel. After that D’Souza introduced Gosavi and Pooja Dadlani at Lower Parel for the first time with Chikky Pandey, Mayur Ghule, Kapil Patil and Dadlani’s husband Hitesh. During the meeting, Gosavi showed a list of people apprehended at the cruise and Aryan’s name was not mentioned as he was not found in possession of drugs, and assured that he could help to get Aryan out of the situation. According to D’Souza, after Gosavi showed details some confidential meeting happened between Dadlani and Gosavi and he left the place.
D’Souza also said in his application that on October 3 he got to know about the arrest of Aryan Khan and he was shocked and contacted Sunil Patil, who then informed him that Gosavi had taken Rs. 50 lakh through his bodyguard Prabhakar Sail. He also said that later he got to know Gosavi was a fraud. The application also alleged that Prabhakar Sail is a conspirator along with Gosavi to extort money.
The Bombay High Court late on Wednesday rejected D’Souza’s bail application saying he should have approached the sessions court first.
Shah Rukh Khan's manager paid money to save Aryan, but it was returned-Sam DSouza
8:15 AM
Ahmed Ali (THE TIMES OF INDIA; November 3, 2021)
Mumbai: Sam D’Souza, one of the persons mentioned in the affidavit submitted by Prabhakar Sail, a witness in the cruise drug bust case, has claimed in a television interview that Shah Rukh Khan’s manager, Pooja Dadlani, had paid money hoping to save the actor’s son Aryan from arrest, but the money was returned when they realised it was not possible.
D’Souza, a businessman, alleged that Dadlani had handed over Rs 50 lakh to K P Gosavi, another witness in the same case, but when he realised that Gosavi was a “cheat”, he asked him to return the money to her.
Sail, in his affidavit, had mentioned that Gosavi, Dadlani and D’Souza met early October 3 at Lower Parel. Sail, bodyguard to Gosavi, dropped him to his Vashi residence. Gosavi later asked Sail to pick up money from outside a hotel in Tardeo. A person arrived in a car and gave Sail two bags, which he took to D’Souza at Trident Hotel. D’Souza counted the money and said it was only Rs 38 lakh, the affidavit stated. Sail claimed to have overheard a conversation where Gosavi and others discussed demanding Rs 25 crore, of which Rs 8 crore was to be paid to NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede.
“After much abuse and pressure, we managed to recover Rs 38 lakh from Gosavi, the rest we contributed and paid back to Dadlani and we understood that Gosavi was a cheat,” D’Souza told the TV channel.
D’Souza clarified that Gosavi had saved Sail’s phone number as ‘SW’ and told him that he was under pressure from ‘SW’ (Sameer Wankhede). But, through Truecaller app, D’Souza realised it was Sail’s number.
Clarifying that he had nothing to do with the October 2 raid, D’souza said he got a call from one Sunil Patil on October 1, who claimed to have some information about the party onboard the cruise ship the next day. “Patil asked me to connect him to the NCB. Hence, I called up Gosavi and connected the duo,” he claimed.
D’Souza said he assumed that Gosavi had recorded Aryan’s voice note saying, “Papa, I am in NCB’s custody,” in his phone. Aryan told Gosavi to contact Dadlani and he is believed to have sent this voice note to her to reaffirm that he has access to the NCB office and was bargaining on behalf of an NCB official.
D’Souza said he agreed to help only after Gosavi told him that no drugs were found on Aryan and he then sent a message to Dadlani through a contact. “I never absconded. I will file an affidavit in a day or two as unknown people have been calling me and visiting my house impersonating police and issuing threats,” he said.
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BJP distances itself from row over NCB officer Wankhede
The BJP has distanced itself from NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede. Addressing a press conference at Bandra on Tuesday, BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said it is not the party’s job to give Wankhede a character certificate. “We support NCB in its action against drugs ...Action must be initiated against those in possession of drugs like charas, ganja or even herbal tobacco irrespective of the quantity and the person involved,” he said.
Accusing NCP’s Nawab Malik of being secretive and fabricating issues, Shelar said he has been making “revelations of past incidents” since Aryan Khan’s arrest. “Malik’s son-in-law was arrested for drug possession and was in jail for eight months. It is clear Malik knew about the deals and has violated his constitutional oath of office by not informing the governor...”
Shelar said ever since BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis threatened to “drop a bomb” against Malik, there has been a change in the latter’s tone and body language.
Mystery man Sam DSouza in alleged NCB payoff turns out to be a fake
7:46 AM
Sandhya Nair (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 28, 2021)
Mumbai: The mysterious ‘Sam D’Souza’, whose name cropped up in allegations of a pay-off to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the Aryan Khan case, has turned out to be a Palghar resident whose profile was apparently misused to create a fake identity.
Hanik Bafna (35) on Monday submitted a complaint to the Palghar police superintendent after he began receiving calls regarding his alleged involvement in the drugs case. He has sought police help saying his photo and phone number were misused by a witness in the case, Prabhakar Sail, who claimed he overheard a man named Sam D’Souza and another witness in the same case, K P Gosavi, discuss a Rs 25-crore payoff to spring Aryan out of jail on October 3. Bafna said his WhatsApp display picture and a decade-old phone number were circulated as that of D’Souza’s.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had subsequently claimed that the man identified as D’Souza was the biggest player in money laundering and was well connected with politicians.
In a complaint to Sahar police, Sail had said that of the Rs 18 crore to be collected to get Aryan released, Rs 8 crore was to be paid to NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede. He said Gosavi had handed over a bag containing Rs 38 lakh to D’Souza. Gosavi's selfie with Aryan had gone viral after the latter’s arrest.
In his complaint, Bafna has said he met Sail a few months ago for a business deal that did not materialise. He had come in contact with Sail through the latter's brother Satish in 2019. Bafna said they exchanged phone numbers but did not stay in touch. He said on October 3, the date mentioned by Sail in his affidavit, he was in Palghar. He has asked the cops to check CCTV images to verify his movements. He denied receiving Rs 38 lakh.
Bafna, a longtime resident of Palghar, is currently on bail after spending two months in jail in a cheating case a few years ago. Police said they are verifying his claims. No FIR has been registered. Bafna said after his photograph was circulated in the context of the case, he began receiving calls from family and friends.
Manish Bhanushali, the BJP worker who was among the witnesses of the drugs bust case, had also said he had seen a Sam D’Souza on the ship but did not know if any money was paid to him.
Rs. 8 crore payoff to NCB zonal chief, alleges witness’ guard in affidavit
8:41 AM
Cites Meeting Attended By SRK’s Manager
Ahmed Ali (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 25, 2021)
Mumbai: The seizure of contraband from a cruise liner on October 2 night leading to the arrest of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan has turned murkier with the personal bodyguard of a witness filing an affidavit levelling serious allegations of a payoff to a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) official.
The affidavit by Prabhakar Sail, bodyguard to drug case witness K P Gosavi, cites a meeting between Shah Rukh’s manager Pooja Dadlani, Gosavi and one Sam D’Souza in the wee hours of October 3 in Lower Parel. The affidavit also mentions a payment of Rs. 8 crore to be made to NCB zonal chief Sameer Wankhede.
Sail said he feared that NCB officials and other persons involved “may kill or abduct me like Gosavi”. Gosavi has not been traceable since NCP minister Nawab Malik sparked a controversy over including him as witness.
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Bodyguard claims Gosavi asked him to collect Rs. 50 lakhs, give it to Sam
Mumbai: In his affidavit, Prabhakar Sail has questioned the decision to make K P Gosavi, against whom criminal cases were pending, as a witness in the cruise drug seizure case. Pune police have even issued a lookout notice against Gosavi for his involvement in a 2018 cheating case. Sail is Gosavi’s bodyguard. NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede has denied all allegations.
The raid on the cruise ship began on October 2 and continued till the next day. Aryan Khan and two others were arrested on October 3 after hours of interrogation. The affidavit states that Aryan was brought from the international cruise terminal to NCB office in Ballard Pier in Gosavi’s vehicle.
The affidavit, dated October 23, sworn before notary R B Gupta, has provided details of a series of events that unfolded the night before the raid.
Sail has narrated one of the conversation which says, “Till such time we reached Lower Parel, Gosavi was talking to Sam D’Souza on the phone and said that ‘you put a bomb of Rs 25 crore and let’s settle at 18 because we have to give 8 crore to Sameer Wankhede’.”
Sail said Gosavi told him to come to NCB office on October 2. “I asked the driver, Vijay Suryavanshi, where Gosavi is. He told me Gosavi is in the NCB office in a meeting with official… At 10.30 pm, I was called by Gosavi in the boarding area (where the cruise ship was docked) and I saw Aryan in one of the cabins...I also saw a girl, Munmun Dhamecha, and a few others with NCB officials,’’ said Sail. Aryan, his friend Arbaaz Merchant and Dhamecha were arrested together. After the raid, Gosavi drove the Innova, along with Aryan and NCB officials, to the agency’s office, while Sail came on foot.
“I reached there and Wankhede instructed his staff to take my signature and one Salekar took 10 signatures on blank papers and my Aadhaar card details…After a while Gosavi came down the NCB office and met D’Souza. Later we drove towards Lower Parel and D’Souza’s car followed us.”
Sail said after a few minutes, a blue Mercedes came and Shah Rukh Khan’s manager Pooja Dadlani stepped out. Dadlani, D’Souza and Gosavi sat in the car and were talking. Then they all left. After driving Gosavi to his Vashi home, Gosavi asked Sail to go to Tardeo near Indiana hotel and collect Rs. 50 lakh. Sail said when he reached there, a car arrived and a man gave him two bags full of cash which he gave Gosavi. Later, Gosavi asked Sail to hand over the cash to D’Souza at Trident Hotel. When Sail gave the cash, D’Souza said there was only Rs. 38 lakh.
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Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; October 25, 2021)
A 40-year-old Andheri resident, Prabhakar Sail, who claims to be the personal bodyguard of NCB's panch witness K P Gosavi has made sensational claimes through a video and a notarised affidavit in connection with the on-going drugs-on-cruise case.
Out of the nine NCB witnesses in the Aryan Khan case, Prabhakar Sail is the number 1 witness.
Gosavi, whose selfie with Aryan Khan went viral, is an alleged private investigator of NCB and is absconding in a cheating case filed with Pune Police.
In a video and affidavit he claimed, the day Aryan Khan was arrested by NCB, he had overheard KP Gosavi and one Sam D'Souza talking on call about a money pay-off.
As per Sail’s claims, Gosavi and Sam caught up near Lower Parel’s Big Bazaar. He overheard Gosavi’s call where he was allegedly talking about a money pay off to the extent of Rs 25 crore and a final settlement of Rs 18 crore because allegedly Rs 8 crores was promised to Sameer Wankhede.
When mid-day contacted Wankhede, he said he has no idea about the meeting and Aryan Khan was arrested so how can there be a question of taking money from anyone. "I absolutely deny all allegations," Wankhede told mid-day.
Sail further claimed that shortly after this conversation with D'Souza regarding the pay off, a blue coloured Mercedes pulled in near Big Bazaar where Gosavi and D'Souza were already waiting. He claims that he saw Shah Rukh Khan's manager Pooja Dadlani was inside the Mercedes. The duo sat in her car and spoke to her for 15 minutes. Later, K P Gosavi sent D’Souza to Indiana bar in Tardeo where two people gave him a bag full of cash which was later given to Gosavi near his residence in Vashi.
Sail claims that he revealed the truth because there is threat to life.
"K P Gosavi is missing now and I’m afraid that I could be killed or abducted. As seen in big cases, witnesses often are killed or taken away. Therefore, I wanted to state the truth," he added at the end of his affidavit.
Following is Prabhakar Sail’s unedited narration as registered in the affidavit which mid-day has procured.
Sail, in his affidavit has said that, I was employed by Gosavi on 22nd July and he worked with him since then as his personal bodyguard. In his affidavit and video message he said that,"on 1st October 2021 at about 9:45 pm he (Gosavi) called me and said that he has left. On 2nd October at about 7:35 pm, Kiran Gosavi called me and said that he transferred 500 rupees to my Google pay account and told me that he is sending me a location on WhatsApp and told me to come to that location. I reached CST railway station at 8:45 p.m. and when I saw the location on WhatsApp it was shown as NCB office. I reach there by taxi and saw white Innova car MH 12 JG 3000 parked opposite NCB office. I asked driver Vijay Suryavanshi as to where is K P Gosavi. He told me that K P Gosavi is in NCB office with NCB officials. I was with the driver at 10:00 am Kiran Gosavi called the driver and came down with NCB officer from NCB office. Kiran Gosavi and the said officer left in the said Innova instructed me to wait their itself. At 12:00 p.m. K P Gosavi called me and instructed me to come at green gate and wait. At about 1:23 pm, Kiran sent some photographs on my WhatsApp and told me to keep a watch and identify the people in the photograph and to further inform him that if any of the said persons are coming to board the cruise through green gate. Accordingly I was waiting identified one person from the set photographs and informed him on WhatsApp that he has boarded bus number 2700. At 4:23 pm, he replied to me that said person who identified is caught and that 13 people are arrested. At about 10:30 pm, I was called by K P Gosavi in the boarding area. I saw one girl Munmun Dhamecha and few others with NCB officials."
He further added in his affidavit,"at about 12:30 pm, Kiran Gosavi accompanied by NCB official took Aryan Khan in his white Innova to NCB office. I reached NCB office walking at around 1 am, I received a call from K P Gosavi instructing me that I should sign as pancha and called me to NCB office. I reached there and Sameer Wankhede instructed the staff to take my signatures and one Salekar from NCB told me sign on 10 blank papers. Salekar asked for my Aadhar details. As I was not carrying my Aadhar card I asked him if I could send my Aadhar card soft copy from my cell no 9137*** **99 on what's app number 8167 609 712. After that he asked me to eat food and took one packet of food for the driver Suryavanshi."
"After sometime, K P Gosavi came down and met one person named Sam D'Souza 500 metres away from NCB office. Sam spoke to K P Gosavi for 5 minutes and again after going around the NCB office, Sam D'Souza and K P Gosavi met again. After that KP Gosavi left in the white Innova and Sam D'Souza's Innova Crysta followed us. Then we stopped at Lower Parel Bridge near Big Bazaar and somepne also stopped at the said location. Till such time we reached Lower Parel, K P Gosavi was talking to Sam on the phone and stated that you put a bomb of rupees 25 crores and lets settle at 18 final because we have to give it 8 crore to Sameer Wankhede." The affidavit reads
He further stated that,"After few minutes 1 blue colour Mercedes came to the spot and I saw Pooja Dadlani came in the car. Sam, K P Gosavi and Pooja Dadlani sat in the Mercedes and started talking. Then we all left after 15 minutes. K P Gosavi and myself reached Mantralaya. K P Gosavi spoke to someone and again left for Vashi. And immediately K P told me to take Innova car and go to Tardeo signal near Indiana Hotel and collect Rs. 50 lakh cash. I reached around 9:45 am,. at the said place where 1 white colour car with number 5102 came and gave me two bags filled with cash. Which I took and gave it to Kiran Gosavi. That time I saw that Kiran Gosavi was packing bags and leaving somewhere. In the evening K P called him and told him to come near Vashi Bridge and there after changeed location to Inorbit Mall where he came and gave back cash to me and told me to give it to Sam. Thereafter Sam called me from mobile number 9700***at about 6:15 p.m. and told me to come near Trident Hotel. I reach Trident hotel where Sam mat me and I handed over the bag of cash to him in his Inova crysta. However when he counted the cash, it was only 38 lakhs. I left from there for Vashi."
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