Mumbai: Lashing out at Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Nawab Malik's 'mastermind' allegation, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mohit Bharatiya claimed that Malik himself admitted that his party leaders had links with the drugs mafia. He said that the party leaders met drug kingpins at Taj hotel.
Further, Bharatiya alleged that Kashif Khan, the purported organizer of the Cordelia cruise party also took part in the meeting. Former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh allegedly met drug kingpin Chiku Pathan at Sahyadri guest house. Pathan is a member of Dawood Ibrahim's gang, said Bharatiya. He also demanded a probe into the allegations.
Alleging about Aslam Sheikh, Maharashtra Minister, Bharatiya urged investigators to examine his call records. The BJP leader said that Sheikh used to contact Kashif Khan over the phone. Hitting out at Malik's allegation that Bharatiya had visited Lalit hotel, he said that he never visited the hotel in the last five years. He asked Malik to bring evidence corroborating his claims.
Malik on Sunday came to the fore alleging that NCB's Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede was part of a plot to "kidnap" actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan for ransom. Malik termed Bharatiya as the "mastermind" of the plot. Regarding Wankhede's claim that he was being stalked during his visit to the graveyard in Oshiwara, Malik said the NCB officer met Bharatiya there.
Malik has been at loggerheads with Wankhede since the beginning of the drugs-on-cruise case. Last month, the high-profile drugs case propped up with Wankhede arresting Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan on a cruise ship. Aryan Khan was granted bail by the Bombay High Court after spending 22 days in jail.
Aryan Khan was last month arrested following a raid led by Wankhede on a cruise ship from which drugs were allegedly seized. He was later granted bail by the Bombay High Court.
Also read: NCB officer Sameer Wankhede was part of plot to 'kidnap' Aryan Khan, claims Nawab Malik