[Aryan Khan drug case] Another witness Sonu Mhaske moves court alleging NCB threatened him to sign blank paper

Sonu Mhaske, an independent witness in the Aryan Khan drug case, has alleged that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) threatened him to sign on a blank panchnama..Mhaske has filed an application before a Mumbai court requesting to take cognizance of his affidavit raising grievances against the procedures adopted by the NCB.In the application before the Special Court under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Mhaske has placed on record an affidavit claiming he was forced to sign a panchnama on October 5, under “threat of false implication in criminal case and the arrest for non-co-operation.”.Mhaske is the second such witness to raise allegation against the NCB. Earlier, the bodyguard of independent witness KP Gosavi had also stated on affidavit that the NCB made him sign a blank panchnama in the cruise ship drugs case..Mhaske was working as a facility manager in the building where search and seizure against one of the accused in the case, Aachit Kumar was carried out..Mhaske stated in his plea filed through advocate Ajay Bhise that neither was he given a chance to read the contents of the panchnama nor were the contents read out by the NCB officers to him before he was made to sign the same.He had been summoned by NCB Mumbai on November 10, 2021 to record his statement. He, however, stated his inability to attend the same “due to fear of officers of NCB, Mumbai”.Mhaske apprehended that NCB would record his statement against his will. There was also the simultaneous threat of being falsely implicated in a criminal case if he fails to remain present at NCB office..In his 10-page affidavit, Mhaske further submitted that he did not know the name of the person who asked him to come to NCB office to “sign on a few documents” The said officer is alleged to have said that if Mhaske “refuses to go there and sign on paper”, then he will have to “face dire consequences for refusing the same”..The NCB officer is alleged to have threatened Mhaske of arrest for non-cooperation by saying:“You don’t know, we are police officers and will take you to the lock-up and you will not come out for a long time.”Besides, Mhaske was asked to get another person from the society for signing papers, the affidavit further alleged.After making them sign four papers in Hindi, they asked them to sign a few blank papers..Prabhakar Sail's affidavit raising similar allegations against NCB, had caused quite an uproar with Sail naming NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankehde as the officer who instructed the signing of the blank papers..Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.