Can NCB Resurrect Its Damaged Reputation?

Now that Aryan Khan has a clean chit in the drugs-on-cruise case, it will take time for the NCB to resurrect its damaged reputation

- Namrata Biji Ahuja, Pooja Biraia Jaiswal

That the Narcotics Control Bureau gave a clean chit to Aryan Khan in the drugs-on-cruise case on May 27 has severely damaged the agency’s image. Aryan, the son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, had spent 26 days in jail last year. And though there has been a course correction—charges against six persons have been dropped—accountability, or the lack of it, is the elephant in the room.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly advised law enforcement agencies to understand the distinction between having the powers to arrest someone and using them. Law enforcement agencies can only rush to arrest someone if there is reasonable evidence to believe that the accused would obstruct the regular course of collecting further evidence, is a habitual offender who may commit a similar offence or would abscond. On the other hand, if police officers are abusing the powers of arrest, they should be held accountable, too.

Though there has been a course correction—charges against six persons have been dropped— accountability, or the lack of it, is the elephant in the room.

The NCB, in its internal inquiry, has chastised its own unit for procedural and investigation lapses that left many in the bureau red-faced. Indian Revenue Service officer Sameer Wankhede was heading the NCB’s Mumbai unit when it arrested several people in the case, including Aryan. In the internal report, which THE WEEK has seen, the NCB found the evidence collected “questionable, motivated and judicially weak”. Reads the report: “Though there were 20 accused in this case, for some reason or the other, the investigation revolved around Aryan Khan.”