The NCB SIT on Wednesday recorded the statement of UK national Karan Sajnani, who was arrested along with Sameer Khan, son-in-law of NCP minister Nawab Malik, in a narcotics case in January.
Sajni and Khan were released on bail by the Bombay High Court on September 27. Malik has accused the zonal director of NCB of irregularities and malpractices Sameer Wankhede In registering a case against Khan and arresting him.
Sameer Khan’s case is one of six taken from the Wankhede and handed over to the SIT set up by the Central Drug Agency as part of the investigation into the allegations leveled by a punch witness in the cruise ship drug raid case against Malik and the NCB officer. Is. ,
Wankhede team has already filed charge sheet in Sameer Khan case. Apart from Sajni, the SIT will also summon others in the case, including Khan, to record their statements.
Advocate Sana Raees Khan, representing Sajnani said, “Karan Sajnani says SIT is a very impartial unit, very cooperative, not biased… Ask him relevant questions, there was no pressure to make any statement, They were very keen to understand the nature, number of products confiscated and very interested in understanding how the herbal products were marketed and where the packaging material came from.
He further said, ‘The SIT asked if Sameer Khan is a part of Karan’s business and Karan has denied it… Karan has been denying it from day one. He told the SIT that Sameer was his friend for 25 years. Karan is happy that the SIT conducted the investigation in such a professional manner. He said that due to the new SIT unit, his complete faith in NCB has been restored.
He said that NCB has called Karan again on Friday.
Talking to media persons after recording his statement, Sajnani said that he never dealt in drugs, and only herbal tobacco was found in his possession.
Sajnani, a British national, said he had written to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking for help. “I am in touch with UK Home Secretary Priti Patel. They have asked me to get in touch with the UK High Commission and are ready to provide assistance with regards to the matter,” he said.
While granting bail to Sajni and Khan in September, the HC had observed that on the basis of the report of the CA (Chemical Analysts), prima facie the allegation of being in possession of commercial quantities – for which they were booked – cannot be made out. . The court had said that out of 18 samples, 11 had tested negative for cannabis, which means that out of 194.6 kg of confiscated material, 194.265 kg were not narcotic drugs.
The HC had said that this makes the seizure of narcotic substance in the category of “intermediate quantity” and not in the form of commercial quantity, as stated by the NCB.
,