Shut Down NCB Mumbai Branch, Arrest Officers in Aryan Khan Case: Shiv Sena

The Shiv Sena has demanded the arrest of all the officers involved in the alleged extortion case.

Nawab Malik has now alleged that the HC's bail order for Aryan Khan and others proves that it was "a case of kidnapping and ransom".

(Photo: Meghnad Bose/The Quint)

Shiv Sena's mouthpiece Saamana on Monday, 22 November, published an editorial targeting the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) over the Bombay High Court’s decision in the Aryan Khan case.

Demanding the arrest of the officers involved in the alleged extortion case, the Shiv Sena has praised Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and minister Nawab Malik, crediting his efforts as the reason behind the revelations against the NCB.

The editorial also mentions closing the NCB office in Mumbai and sending all the officers on leave.

The editorial says that the games being played by the central investigative agencies in Maharashtra are being exposed every day. The Bombay High Court, while granting bail to Aryan Khan, had found that no evidence of possession or consumption of narcotic substances had been found against him.

Adding that the High Court had stated that even in Aryan Khan’s WhatsApp chats, no evidence of the conspiracy was found, the editorial says, “This means that the NCB team had manufactured all this and put Aryan Khan and others in jail unnecessarily for 20 to 25 days.”

Highlighting the court’s decision, Shiv Sena has demanded through their editorial, that all the officers who tried to extort money by getting star kids involved must be arrested.

Stating that the NCB had become a ransom collecting gang, the editorial claimed that due to the revelations cropping up against the NCB each day, the prestige of central investigating agencies has been tarnished.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were supporting the extortion being done by the NCB officials, the editorial says.

Further, the Shiv Sena has appreciated Nawab Malik for bringing to the fore the acts of the NCB team with evidence, and added that Malik has done a favour to Maharashtra.

There has been an outrage in Maharashtra against the anti-drugs agency for allegedly implicating film stars, their children, business persons, politicians, among others, in false cases.

‘Is This Justice?’: Saamana

The editorial added that Sharad Pawar has expressed his strong sentiments for keeping former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in jail.

Pawar has apparently said that the cost of each day of former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh's staying in jail will have to be paid. Meanwhile, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, who made the allegations against Deshmukh, is currently absconding.

The magazine’s editorial asserted, “No one knows his whereabouts. The Supreme Court itself has asked ‘where is Param Bir Singh?’ Anil Deshmukh is in jail on the allegations of that absconding officer.”

“There is huge anger against the minister's son who crushed the agitating farmers of Lakhimpur Kheri, while the demand for the resignation of Union Minister Ajay Misra is gaining momentum. But without asking Minister of State Ajay Misra to resign, Prime Minister Modi is making those ministers sit in his lap. Is this justice?” the editorial said.

Further, the editorial states that the NCB has received such bad light due to the Aryan Khan case, the NCB office in Mumbai should be closed and their team should be sent on leave.

“Aryan Khan was implicated in the 'cruise ship drugs' case to divert people's attention from issues like farmers' agitation, anger against inflation. The Rs 25 crore extortion case that has come out is astonishing,” the editorial concludes.