The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has called in model Munmun Dhamecha for questioning in connection with the narcotics raid case involving former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) employees and others linked to the Cordelia cruise ship incident.
Dhamecha, aged 28, is required to appear before the CBI's investigating officer in New Delhi on Thursday, and her statement will also be recorded at her residence in the city. Dhamecha's attorney, Kashif Khan, has confirmed this.
The case dates back to October 3, 2021, when the NCB detained Dhamecha, along with Arbaaz Merchant and Aryan Khan. Later, Aryan Khan was released by a special investigation team of the CIA.
On May 11, 2023, the CBI filed a police report (FIR) against several individuals, including Sameer Wankhede, the NCB's then-Mumbai zonal director, Vishwa Vijay Singh, the NCB's then-superintendent, and Ashish Ranjan, the NCB's then-intelligence officer. The FIR also named two citizens, Kiran P. Gosavi and Sanville D'Souza, who acted as paunch witnesses in the case.
The five accused individuals are alleged to have conspired to extort INR 25 crore from Shah Rukh Khan in exchange for securing the release of his son from the drug case. The accusation revolves around a bribe amounting to INR 50 lakh offered to the accused parties.
The investigation stems from a tip received by Sameer Wankhede and his team. This led to a raid on rooms reserved by passengers on the Goa-bound Cordelia cruise ship at the International Cruise Terminal in Mumbai on October 2, 2021. The agency claimed to have seized cocaine, mephedrone, charas, and MDMA (ecstasy) pills during the operation, along with INR 1.33 lakh in cash.
Specifically, NCB officials reported that the room booked in Munmun Dhamecha's name contained 5 grammes of hashish. In response, Dhamecha filed a discharge petition in the special NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) court on May 1, 2023.
The petition asserted that neither the narcotic substance nor her involvement in its consumption had been established. She further stated that the other girl meant to share the room was released when narcotics were found in her possession. However, the prosecution has not yet responded to her plea.
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