The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials pressurised Kshitij Prasad, former Dharma Production’s executive producer, to name Karan Johar during the interrogation, said lawyer Satish Maneshinde, who is representing Kshitij before the court.
Kshitij Prasad was produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate court through video conference where he was remanded into police custody till October 3.
Before the proceedings began, Satish Maneshinde informed the magistrate that Kshitij was harassed and blackmailed to make a statement apart from third degree and ill treatment.
According to Maneshinde, Kshitij, during his statement before the court said that he received a call from NCB officer Singh on Thursday, September 24, 2020, while he was in Delhi. NCB informed him that they wanted to search his house which they had then sealed and wanted to record his statement.
Kshitij returned to Mumbai on September 25, 2020 and opened and entered his house in the presence of the NCB team at around 9am. The team found nothing in the house apart from the end bit of a stale and dry cigarette butt in the balcony.
“The NCB team began insisting it was a ganja joint even though there was nothing to suggest that and even drew up a panchnama to that effect despite his protests. Upon his wife’s insistence, the word ‘believed’ to be a ganja joint was inserted in the panchnama. Kshitij was then taken to the NCB office post the search of his house at around 11:30 am, along with two of his friends, Isha and Anubhav,” read the statement.
It has been further alleged that Kshitij was made to sit at the NCB office from 11.30 am to 6.30pm without any information while his friends were questioned. He was later informed by his friends that the NCB informed them that if they gave a statement against him, they would be let off and subsequently they were in fact let off.
“Around 6.45pm, Kshitij’s questioning finally began where a person, by the name of Sanket, who appeared to be very friendly and comfortable with the NCB officers was brought into a room with him and Officer Sameer Wankhede along with other officers. Sanket was asked if he knew Kshitij and stated that he did not recognise him. Kshitij was immediately asked by Sameer Wankhede (Zonal Director of NCB) to leave the room and when he was called back 5 minutes later, Sanket suddenly proclaimed that he knew Kshitij and could recognise him from his WhatsApp picture. Kshitij has never met Sanket and did not recognise him,” added the statement.
Thereafter, as per the allegations, Sameer Wankhede began recording Kshitij’s statement, wherein various patently false claims were inserted despite his protests. The statement was not recorded as per Kshitij’s narration and language. During his statement, he repeatedly inquired with Sameer Wankhede as to whether he was being placed under arrest and repeatedly requested to be allowed to speak to his lawyer and family. No clarity was provided to him in this regard nor was he permitted to speak to his lawyer.
At around 11 pm at night , Kshitij was informed by Sameer Wankhede that he would have to stay the night at the NCB office, when he asked if he was being arrested , he was informed by the officer that he was not and that he was being made to stay as his statement was not complete and due to certain security concerns.
The NCB officers apart from Sameer Wankhede were courteous to Kshitij and provided him with a comfortable sleeping arrangement.
“The next morning when his statement recording resumed, Kshitij was categorically informed by Sameer Wankhede in the presence of several other officers, that since he was associated with Dharma Productions, they would let him off if he implicated either Karan Johar, Somel Mishra , Rakhi, Apoorva, Neeraj or Rahil falsely alleging that they consumed drugs. Kshitij refused to comply with this despite the pressure being mounted on him as he did not know any of these people personally and did not wish to falsely implicate anyone,” added the statement.
The statement further reads that irked by Kshitij’s refusal to comply, Sameer Wankhede told him that since he did not want to cooperate he would teach him a lesson and made him sit on the floor next to his chair. “Sameer Wankhede then put the shoe of his foot near Kshitij’ face and proclaimed that this was his true 'aukad.' This incident occurred in the presence of Sanket and several NCB Officers all of whom laughed at his plight. The incident severely traumatised Kshitij, who had never been in this kind of situation before. After over 48 hours in such custody, he was extremely fatigued and shaken,” alleged Satish Maneshinde.
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It has been alleged that Sameer Wankhede informed him that if he wished to be granted a call, he should sign the statement they had prepared which he could retract later. Kshitij was unaware of the legalities involved and had never even come across this term of ‘retraction of statement’. Sameer Wankhede then informed him that if he did not sign the statement , the pressure would continue to mount and he would not be given access to his family or lawyer. “At the end of nearly 50 hours of interrogation, humiliation and torment, Kshitij is his desperation to speak to his lawyer or family, unwillingly and under threat signed the statement,” added Maneshinde.
The Magistrate heard both the sides later and remanded Kshitij to NCB custody till 3 Oct, 2020.
“It can be seen from the remand application and the statement of Kshitij Prasad that NCB is bent upon falsely implicating Karan Johar or some top officers of Dharma Productions,” alleged Maneshinde
Karan Johar in a statement has refused the allegations of his involvement in any drug party. The director said that Kshitij has worked in contract basis for a very brief period of time and he can’t be held responsible for what people do in their personal life.
NCB said that during interrogation of a drug peddler Kshitij name appeared and when they searched his residence, a smoked finished cigarette which had ganja was recovered.
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