No evidence against Aryan Khan in drug case? Here's what NCB says

New Delhi, Mar 2: The Narcotics Control Bureau on Wednesday denied speculations which claimed that there were no evidence against Aryan Khan in drugs-on-cruise case.

"As far as the media reports on non-availability of evidence against Aryan Khan are concerned, these are not true and are just speculations and nothing else. These statements were not cross-checked with NCB before being published. The investigation is not yet complete and it is premature to say anything at this stage," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

"Highly premature to say that there's no evidence against Aryan Khan. Probe still in progress; recorded multiple statements. Have not reached any conclusion yet," Singh told ANI. -

"What has been stated in a recent news report regarding Aryan Khan's role is on the same lines as what the Bombay High Court had said while granting bail to him and two others. However, the investigation is yet to be concluded," a senior officer, who did not wish to be named, told the PTI.

The NCB will again question some "independent" witnesses and accused, apart from its own officials involved in the October, 2021 Mumbai drugs-on-cruise case before filing a chargesheet, officials said on Wednesday.

The Delhi-based special investigation team (SIT) of the agency probing the case is expected to file a chargesheet before a special court in Mumbai by the end of this month if the investigation is completed, official sources said. The case has multiple links, including with those who are in jail and those out on bail. A chargesheet may be filed by March-April and if the probe is not concluded and further forensic examination of gadgets is required, an extension could be sought from the court, the sources said.

"As far as the media reports on non-availability of evidence against Aryan Khan are concerned, these are not true and are just speculation and nothing else." "These statements were not cross-checked with the NCB before being published. Investigation is not yet completed and it is premature to say anything at this stage," NCB Deputy Director General (operations) Sanjay Kumar Singh said in a statement. Singh is the head of the SIT.

Khan and seven others were arrested by the agency on October 3 last year after overnight raids on a cruiseliner operated by the Cordelia company that was berthed at the international cruise terminal at the Green Gate in Mumbai. The NCB headquarters had transferred this case, which was being probed by the NCB Mumbai office under its former zonal director Sameer Wankhede, to the SIT in November last year following allegations of extortion and procedural lapses.

A total of 20 people were arrested in the case. Wankhede had refuted all the charges levelled against him, saying he was being targeted as he was trying to unravel high-profile narcotics cases. PTI