Amid allegations of corruption, forged caste certificates and extravagant lifestyles of the high-profile NCB Mumbai zonal director, Sameer Wankhede, the Cordelia drugs-on-cruise case has been transferred to Delhi NCB to conduct deeper investigation.
The action has been taken on "administrative grounds", and as these six cases have "wider and inter-state ramifications", they have been transferred to the operations unit in Delhi, NCB Deputy Director General (north-west region) Mutha Ashok Jain told PTI.
He said that the order for the transfer of cases has been issued by NCB Director General (DG) S N Pradhan.
Meanwhile, NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede refuted reports that he has been removed from the investigation in the Aryan case. He said that the new move is about coordination between NCB teams of Mumbai and Delhi. "I've not been removed from the investigation. It was my writ petition in court that the matter is probed by a central agency. So Aryan case & Sameer Khan case are being probed by Delhi NCB's SIT. It's a coordination b/w NCB teams of Delhi & Mumbai," he said.
I've not been removed from investigation. It was my writ petition in court that the matter be probed by a central agency. So Aryan case & Sameer Khan case are being probed by Delhi NCB's SIT. It's a coordination b/w NCB teams of Delhi & Mumbai:NCB Zonal Dir Sameer Wankhede to ANI pic.twitter.com/Hf7ZrjwVex
— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2021
NCP chief spokesperson and Maharashtra minority affairs minister Nawab Malik, reacting to the transfer, said that this was just the beginning. He said, "Sameer Wankhede removed from 5 cases including the Aryan Khan case. There are 26 cases in all that needs to be probed. This is just the beginning... a lot more has to be done to clean this system and we will do it."
Sameer Wankhede removed from 5 cases including the Aryan Khan case.
— Nawab Malik نواب ملک नवाब मलिक (@nawabmalikncp) November 5, 2021
There are 26 cases in all that need to be probed.
This is just the beginning... a lot more has to be done to clean this system and we will do it.
A total of 20 persons were arrested in the case including Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan
Fifteen accused have been granted in the case.
A team of Delhi NCB would be arriving in Mumbai tomorrow after the decision to start the investigation in the case.
(With PTI inputs)
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