Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar in his press conference on Saturday commented on the ongoing drives of the Narcotics Control Bureau without naming Shah Rukh Khan or Aryan Khan. However, he mentioned the arrest of NCP leader Nawab Malik’s son-in-law and said that in his case, the court highlighted that he was not possessing ganja but it was some kind of plant, Pawar said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

“Since Nawab Malik who is the spokesperson of the NCP cannot be attacked directly, his son-in-law was targeted by the Centre with the help of the agency (NCB). His son-in-law was arrested and kept in jail for possession of ganja. But fortunately, a few days ago his bail was approved. The court highlighted that he was not possessing ganja but it was some kind of plant. This is the second example of the misuse of power and investigating machinery”, Pawar said.

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A day after Uddhav Thackeray assailed the NCB saying that they are only interested in catching celebrities, taking photos with them, the NCP supremo said the NCB catches anyone and alleges that a banned substance has been found from his possession.

“People who are involved in crimes have been made panch (witness). In Malik’s son-in-law’s case, the witness is having a criminal record. In a recent raid too (on a cruise ship in Mumbai) one Gosavi, who was a witness of the NCB, is found to be a criminal on record,” he claimed.

The Pune Police have recently issued a lookout circular against KP Gosavi, the man who took the viral photo with Aryan Khan after the latter’s arrest. The police said he has been absconding in a 2018 cheating case. The NCB earlier clarified that the agency requires independent witnesses in each case. These witnesses are not known to the agency and fielf verification of such independent witnesses is not possible on a real-time basus as the main focus is on the operation.

Pawar said when a constituent party under the MVA speaks on the action taken by the NCB or other agencies, BJP leaders jumped in to defend these agencies. “When there are allegations against agencies like NCB ideally its official or a spokesperson should come forward to present their side. However, it is found that former CM Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders are coming forward to defend them,” he alleged.

(With PTI inputs)