Kiran Gosavi took selfie with Aryan Khan to show friends, called pal who wanted to hear his voice

The panch witness in the Cordelia drug cruise case, Kiran Gosavi, in a recent statement recorded to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) – special investigation team (SIT), said he made a call to a friend who had requested to hear Aryan Khan’s voice.

Earlier, Gosavi had told India Today that he had said he called up actor Shahrukh Khan’s manager Pooja Dadlani, as Aryan Khan, who was in NCB net, wanted to speak to her. He had claimed that Dadlani had not picked up the call, so he had recorded a voice note by Aryan for Dadlani.

Gosavi had an import-export business of electronics and a travel agency before 2018. Gosavi said he employed Prabhakar Sail because he was told that the latter was jobless and homeless. He hired Sail as his bodyguard on Rs 15,000 a month.

Sail, who was also a panch witness in the drug cruise case, had started work with Gosavi just a few months before the drug raid at Cordelia ship. Before he was employed by Gosavi, he used to sell vegetables and fish.

Sail told the NCB-SIT officials that Gosavi had taken the selfie with Aryan Khan at the international cruise terminal and the video that later became viral was shot by him inside the NCB office. In the video, Gosavi was with Aryan and was talking on the phone.

When Gosavi was asked about the selfie and the video in his statement that was recorded in April 2022, he said, “Aryan Khan was searched but no drug was found on him. However, drug-related chats were found in his phone. I thought Aryan Khan being a celebrity and no drug was found from him, he was made to sit separately to avoid crowds gathering around him. I took a selfie with him to show it to my friends.”

Explaining why he was seen dragging Aryan Khan inside the NCB office on the night of the arrest, Gosavi said that NCB officials did not have enough vehicles, so he had offered his car which he was using.

“When we reached NCB office there was lots of mediapersons around NCB office and we were told to run immediately to the third floor where the NCB office is situated. Aryan Khan, who was beside me, was not aware of the office of NCB. I held his hand to avoid the media and rushed towards the NCB office leaving all luggage behind.”

Gosavi did not want to speak much about the video taken by Sail inside the NCB office and said, “I don’t want to say anything on this because I have already been crucified because of this video, everywhere. It was just a normal call from my friend who just wanted to hear Aryan Khan’s voice.”

THE DRUG BUST
Gosavi told the NCB-SIT that he came to know about some drug consumption on a cruise and his friend had asked him to inform the NCB about it. He contacted the NCB on October 2, 2021. However, Gosavi refused to divulge name of his source who had given him the tip off.

When he went to NCB office, he met superintendent and investigating officers VV Singh and Ashish Ranjan. It was Ranjan who made Gosavi a panch witness and the team took him inside the international cruise terminal, which is a restricted area.

Gosavi said that he had two lists with details of people on the cruise ship. One list had 10 names and he was sure that the listed people would have drugs. Another list contained 27 names but he was not sure that those people would be drug consumers.

On the night of October 1, Gosavi had called Sail and asked him to get up early as they had to go somewhere. Gosavi said that he would disclose the location only later. When Gosavi did share the location, he asked Sail to reach the NCB office in Mumbai at 9am.

PRABHAKAR SAIL’S TESTIMONY
When Sail reached NCB office, he saw that Gosavi had come out with NCB officials and left. Later, he called Sail to the green gate of the international cruise terminal and sent him about 10-12 photos and asked him to inform if any of those people had come to the gate.

Sail said that he recognised only one person and saw Aryan Khan entering the gate. Finally, around 11.45 pm, all the people including the arrested accused came out and reached the NCB office. There was no space for him in the vehicle, so Sail reached the NCB office on foot.

Sail had emphasised that he had not seen any drug recovery and had been made to sign blank papers as Gosavi told him that they are panch witnesses.

However, Gosavi in his statement countered the claim. “Sail was present during the search and seizure of drugs recovered from persons at the international cruise terminal and signed the panchanama then and there along with others. Sail did not have any ID proof so one of the NCB officers told him to send it on his whatsapp,” said Gosavi.

Gosavi said that he did not know why Sail was defaming him. He said, “I guess he has been influenced and manipulated by some political leaders and I have heard that he has been offered a huge amount of money and a flat in Mumbai.”