Aryan Khan case: CM assured investigation in extortion charges, says Nawab Malik

Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik has said that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has assured a thorough probe into the charges made by a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) witness, Prabhakar Sail, who has alleged a payoff between the agency, and actor Shah Rukh Khan's manager in the Aryan Khan case.

Malik met Thackeray and Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil on Tuesday. "I have demanded a special investigation team (SIT) probe into the allegations made in an affidavit. The CM told me that many people have been complaining in this case and the police are investigating it. Once an FIR is filed the probe will be expedited," said Malik after the meeting. A SIT to be led by a senior IPS officer is expected to be formed in a couple of days.

Sail has alleged payoff to the extent of '25 crore, of which '8 crore was supposed to be kept aside for Wankhede. He said the money was demanded to let off Aryan Khan in the case. He also said NCB officials had asked him to sign blank papers. Following his request, the Mumbai police has provided him and his family protection.

‘No vendetta in this'

Malik said the FIR in extortion charges won't be against a particular officer, but will be filed in the particular incident. "The police will investigate the persons concerned. There is no question of vendetta in this," he said, when asked if he wanted NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede probed in particular. Malik has been addressing a daily press conference seeking answers in the findings he has made against Wankhede. On Tuesday, he said Wankhede has sought his daughter's call detail record but Mumbai police denied it on privacy grounds. Two persons are illegally tapping phones, he further said.

Malik said the CM has told him that he will be writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concerns over the efforts of defaming Mumbai's Bollywood. "The CM told me that the Bollywood is being defamed and put in danger. Since Bollywood's defamation is the country's defamation, the CM will be writing about the efforts of damaging the industry that provides jobs to lakhs of people," said Malik.