Mumbai: Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil has said that the death of independent witness of Narcotics Control Bureau in Aryan Khan case will be probed. “How could such a strong and healthy man die suddenly?” said the minister, informing the state Director General of Police will investigate the case.
Prabhakar Sail, a witness for the Narcotics Control Bureau, died on Friday. Police Officials speaking with News Agency PTI said, “Prabhakar Sail, died of a heart attack at his house in Mahul (Chembur) on Friday evening”. He was taken to the civic-run Rajawadi Hospital in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, where he was declared ‘brought dead’, he said.
Prabhakar was one of the witnesses who had alleged extortion by NCB officials last year during the probe of the Cordelia Cruise Ship drugs case in which Aryan was arrested. After Aryan was arrested, he was sent to Arthur Road Jail where he was an inmate till October 30 with his friend Arbaaz Merchant. As per India Today, Prabhakar Sail’s family did not ‘suspect any foul play.
Prabhakar was bodyguard of KP Gosavi, NCB’s witness. He had alleged in an affidavit that he had heard Gosavi discuss a ₹ 25 crore pay-off deal after Aryan Khan was arrested during a raid on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast on October 3 last year. Of the total alleged payoff amount, Rs. 8 crore was meant for Sameer Wankhede, the officer who was earlier leading the probe by the NCB, as per the claims.
His employer Kiran P Gosavi had a conversation with one Sam D’Souza, Sail had claimed in his affidavit. “You put a bomb of 25 crores and let’s settle at 18 final, because we have to give 8 crores to Sameer Wankhede,” Gosavi told a certain person named Sam D’Souza,” the affidavit read.
Wankhede had denied all allegations against him amid a political row; he was later transferred.
The Narcotics Control Bureau had told the court that Sail had turned hostile and his affidavit was still pending before the court.
In the case 20 accused were arrested. Only two of the accused are under police custody and the rest are out on bail.
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