Aryan Khan, son of Hindi actor Shah Rukh Khan, was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3 at around 2 pm after being interrogated over a cruise ship rave party. The agency raided the party on the night of October 2 based on a tip-off.
The NCB registered a case under several sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, after officers seized 13 gm of cocaine, 21 gm of charas or hashish, 22 pills of MDMA (ecstasy), 5 gm mephedrone, and cash worth Rs 1.33 lakh at International Cruise Terminal, Green Gate Mumbai.
Khan’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde said in the court after his arrest that Khan was invited to the cruise party and since no illegal substances were found in his possession, he could apply for bail.
However, during the bail hearing on October 4, the NCB sought further custody of Khan based on interrogations. “I cannot reveal the links and the findings of last evening’s interrogation, but there are areas we need to investigate,” NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede told ETimes.
After the hearing, a Mumbai Court remanded Aryan Khan to NCB custody till October 7.
The raid on October 2 happened during a major event on the Cordelia Cruises’ Empress ship, which was inaugurated just two weeks earlier. Along with Khan, two others – his friend Arbaaz Merchant and fashion designer Munmun Dhamecha – were also arrested in connection to the drug bust.
Here’s what has happened so far:
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- According to the NCB, on October 2, based on a tip-off that a party was scheduled on the ship, a team, led by the agency’s zonal director Sameer Wankhede, raided the Goa-bound Cordelia cruise ship. The NCB had information that drugs would be used at the party.
- Drugs in large quantities were recovered from the raid.
- After a long raid, it was reported on the morning of October 3 that Khan and his friends were found attending the party and were being questioned.
- Khan, along with a few others, was brought in for questioning and also sent in for medical examination.
- After hours of interrogation, at around 2 pm on October 3, Khan, Merchant, and Dhamecha were arrested under Section 8C, 20B, 27 read with 35 of the NDPS Act.
- Post the arrest, Khan’s lawyer agreed in court for Khan to remain in judicial custody for just one day arguing that he was not found in possession of any drugs and the arrest was made on the basis of some WhatsApp messages.
- A drug supplier was taken into custody in the same case following a series of raids in Bandra, Andheri, and Lokhandwala, in the intervening hours of late October 3 night and early October 4. Reportedly, the supplier’s name was mentioned in the WhatsApp chat between Khan and Merchant.
- Five others, namely Nupur Satija, Ishmeet Singh Chadha, Mohak Jaiswal, Gomit Chopra, and Vikrant Chhokar, were also arrested late on October 3.
- The NCB is continuing its raid on the cruise ship, which returned to Mumbai on October 4. More drugs have reportedly been recovered from the site.
- Khan was taken for a medical examination before being produced in court again on October 4, at which time his lawyer applied for his bail.
- The NCB countered the bail plea by demanding further custody of Khan. The agency stated that “shocking incriminating material has been found on his phone in the form of pictures.”
- After a lengthy hearing, a Mumbai Court on October 4 remanded Aryan Khan to NCB custody till October 7.
- By October 6, the NCB had nabbed eight more persons in relation to this case. The current number of arrests stands at 17.
- Khan, after his NCB custody ended on October 7, was produced at a Mumbai Court where he was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days along with the seven other accused who were nabbed on October 3.
- Khan’s lawyer applied for interim bail which would be heard on October 8.
- The NCB also between October 7-8 nabbed a drug peddler, an unnamed foreign national, and a Nigerian national in relation to this case.
- A Mumbai court on October 8 rejected the interim bail plea of Khan, Dhamecha, and Merchant. All will remain in judicial custody in the Arthur Road jail.
- The court directed all the accused to move sessions court for regular bail.
- While Khan’s lawyer argued in front of a sessions court that his bail application was filed on October 8, the NCB said they did not have time to reply as there were several applications. The Court forwarded the hearing for October 13.
- The Special NDPS court on October 13 heard the bail applications for Khan and the other accused. The hearing was adjourned for the next day (October 14).
(This is a developing story)