Mumbai drugs-on-cruise case: Top developments

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and its zonal director Sameer Wankhede approached a special court on Monday against allegations of extortion levelled against them in the cruise drugs seizure case, in which Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan is an accused.

Also watch: Drugs-on-cruise case: NCB officer claims he is being targeted, files affidavit

Wankhede in his affidavit submitted to the court refuted the allegations levelled against him, and claimed he was under a "lurking threat of arrest as it does not suit some vested interests for conducting an honest and impartial investigation".

Wankhede also claimed that he was being personally targeted by a well-known political figure, and the only reason he can fathom is that the NCB had arrested "this person's son-in-law Sameer Khan".

Notably, Sameer Khan is the son-in-law of NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik.

The NCB and Wankhede in their affidavits, submitted to the court designated to hear cases related to the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), also said the allegations against them were an attempt to create hurdles and scuttle the investigation in the case.

The NCB in its affidavit sought that there should be no tampering with the evidence or investigation in the case.

On Sunday, an independent witness in the case, in a statement to the media, claimed that Rs 25 crore was demanded by an official of the NCB and other persons, including absconding witness K P Gosavi, to let off Aryan Khan in the case.

Prabhakar Sail, the 'independent witness', told media persons that he had overheard Gosavi telling one Sam D'Souza over the phone, after Aryan Khan was brought to the NCB office following the October 2 raid, about a demand of Rs 25 crore and "to settle at Rs 18 crore as they have to give Rs eight crore to Sameer Wankhede".

Sail had said he would soon release evidence to support his claim.

The NCB and Wankhede rubbished these claims in their affidavits submitted to the court on Monday.

"After spearheading the investigation in the cruise ship case, I am being personally targeted by a well-known political figure for reasons best known to him," Wankhede said in his affidavit, adding the only reason he can fathom is that the NCB had arrested this politician's son-in-law Sameer Khan.

Wankhede's affidavit claimed there has been personal vendetta against him and his family members.