These findings in the report cast a big cloud over the NCB and its officials who were involved in the Aryan Khan case. Although Shahrukh KhanK’s son was given a clean chit in the case, with both political figures and film industry names alleging that the NCB probe into the drugs case was far from ideal.
During the special investigation, the statements of 65 witnesses were recorded, while the bank details and other financial details of the family members of the officers who came under the scanner were also examined. Some of these officers and persons changed their statements 3 to 4 times. Reportedly, most of the officers are from the department, however, at present a report will be submitted to the authority to take action against those not serving the department.
NCB officials revealed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by top NCB officials submitted its vigilance report to the NCB Headquarters in Delhi today. This SIT was constituted to probe the allegations of irregularities by the investigating officers in the Aryan Khan case. The SIT also found loopholes in the investigation of other related and unrelated cases.
An official said, “The role of 7 to 8 NCB officers has been found suspicious in this case, for which departmental inquiry has been started. Permission has been sought from senior officers to take action against people outside NCB. ”
Experts are saying that these new revelations in the special report are the second blow to the NCB in the Cordelia drugs case. Aryan Khan was given a clean chit by the court in May this year for the first time, eight months after his arrest in the cruise drugs bust. After Aryan’s acquittal, the NCB had to admit that they did not find “sufficient evidence” against Aryan and five other co-accused.
Aryan Khan and 20 others were arrested from a cruise ship off the terminal in Mumbai in October 2021, and NCB officials claimed that drugs were found on some of the arrested persons. After this, Aryan had to spend almost a month in Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail in NCB custody.
Some of the key charges leveled by NCB officials against Aryan include – “regular user of drugs”, he was involved in “illicit drug trafficking”, and he was a participant in “purchase and distribution of drugs”. But after the court proceedings and the verdict, NCB had to back down from its charges. With these new revelations coming to the fore, it seems that the involvement of NCB in this high-profile case has had a more serious impact.