NCB witness in Mumbai cruise drugs case dies of heart attack

Prabhakar Sail, an independent witness of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the Mumbai drugs-on-cruise case involving Aryan Khan, has died at his residence in suburban Chembur.

“Prabhakar Sail, 37, died of a heart attack at his house in Mahul on Friday evening,” a police official said.

According to the police, Sail was taken to the civic-run Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Sail’s lawyer Tushar Khandare confirmed that Sail died after he suffered a heart attack and that his family members do not suspect any foul play.

Sail, who claimed to be the bodyguard of NCB witness K P Gosavi, had alleged in an affidavit that he had heard Gosavi discuss a ₹25 crore pay-off deal after Aryan Khan was arrested during a raid on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast, on October 2 last year.

Also read: Aryan Khan cruise drugs case: NCB gets 60 more days to file chargesheet

The NCB had told the court that Sail had turned hostile and his affidavit was still pending before the court.

Aryan Khan was named an accused in the case along with 19 others by the NCB. The accused were booked under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for alleged possession, consumption, sale/purchase of banned drugs, conspiracy and abetment, among others.

Of the 20 arrested in the case, only two are currently in judicial custody and the rest are out on bail.

Meanwhile, a special NDPS court has granted the NCB 60 more days to file the chargesheet in the case. The court reserved the order on Wednesday after hearing both sides for nearly two hours.

Also read: Claims, counter-claims, twists…Aryan Khan case turns murkier and messier

The NCB has been investigating the case for nearly six months and the stipulated time for filing the chargesheet, that is 180 days, ended on Thursday, after which the NCB had sought for an extension of 90 days.

(With inputs from Agencies)