Sameer Wankhede was part of plot to ‘kidnap’ Aryan Khan: Nawab Malik

Mumbai, November 7

Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Sunday alleged that Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede was part of a plot to “kidnap” actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan for ransom.

Speaking to mediapersons here, Malik claimed that Mohit Bharatiya, former president of Mumbai BJP’s youth wing, was the “mastermind” of the plot. Aryan was last month arrested following a raid led by Wankhede on a cruise ship.

The minister on Sunday claimed that Wankhede had met Bharatiya at a graveyard in suburban Oshiwara.

“But, because of his (Wankhede’s) good luck, we couldn’t get the footage since police’s CCTV was not functioning. Hence, out of fear, Wankhede had lodged a false complaint that he was being stalked,” Malik said.

“The alleged cruise rave party was a plot to kidnap Aryan for ransom, of which Bharatiya was the mastermind,” the NCP leader alleged. Accusing Wankhede of being involved in the plot, he claimed Bharatiya was a member of Wankhede’s “private army”.

Malik also claimed that journalist RK Bajaj and advocate Pradeep Nambiar were members of Wankhede’s “private army”.

The minister appealed to actor Shah Rukh Khan to come forward and support his fight against injustice. He accused Wankhede of creating fear among drug consumers while protecting peddlers and traffickers.

He claimed the trap to kidnap Aryan was laid through Rishabh Sachdeva, brother-in-law of Bharatiya.

“Rs 25 crore were sought, and the deal was finalised at Rs 18 crore…Rs 50 lakh were given. The deal got spoilt because the selfie of KP Gosavi (NCB’s witness in the cruise drugs case) with Aryan, after his arrest, became viral,” he claimed. — PTI