NCB under scanner as same panch witness used in five different cases

In some startling revelations related to the Aryan Khan alleged drug case, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) used the same panch witness Adil Fazal Usmani a resident of Jogeshwari in at least five cases since 2020, a media report suggested. Not only this, the same address of Usmani has been given in all the cases. Questions are also being raised on two other witnesses. 

K P Gosavi, a wanted accused at the time is now under arrest and Manish Bhanushali is alleged to have links with the ruling BJP. The case took a turn when witness number 1 in the Aryan Khan case Prabhakar Sail emerged in front of the media accusing NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede of making him sign blank pages.

In the Cordelia case, the NCB also listed Aubrey Gomez, V Waigankar, Aparna Rane, Prakash Bahadur, Shoaib Faiz and Muzammil Ibrahim as panch witnesses, some of whom are security staff of the luxury liner. NCB officials defend their move to use the same panchs citing that as it is practically difficult to get persons willing to come on board during drug raids, out of fear and to avoid legal entanglements.

However, courts have time and again raised questions on habitual panchs giving reasons that such panchs are ‘under the thumb of police’ and hence could not be considered independent witnesses. NCP leader Malik had also shared an anonymous letter allegedly by an NCB official with allegations against Wankhede, which makes reference to Adil Usmani, a ‘drug peddler’.

Meanwhile, another NCB witness, identified as Shekhar Kamble, has alleged that the probe agency’s Zonal Director, Sameer Wankhede, made him sign 10-12 blank papers which were later used as Panchnama in connection with a Nigerian national’s arrest from Mumbai’s Khargar.