The bail hearing of Aryan Khan, star Shah Rukh Khan’s son, who was accused in the cruise narcotics seizure case, was postponed until Wednesday by the Bombay High Court on Tuesday. Mukul Rohatgi, a senior advocate and former Attorney General of India, claimed on behalf of Aryan that no drugs had been found on him, and no medical tests had revealed that he had used narcotics. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) contested the bail request, claiming that the 23-year-old was not only a drug user but also a drug trafficker.
According to the NCB, Aryan is a powerful figure who is likely to tamper with evidence or leave the court if he is freed on bond. According to the report, evidence also reveals that Aryan was in contact with people in another country who were part of an international drug network. According to NCB, evidence throughout the investigation indicated that Aryan was involved in the illegal acquisition and distribution of contraband obtained from Arbaaz Merchant.
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The agency also alleged that Aryan Khan and Shah Rukh Khan’s manager, Pooja Dadlani, were tampering with the case’s evidence and witnesses to sabotage the probe. “The applicant is 23 years old and was previously in California in the United States,” Rohatgi, representing Aryan, said. A cruise from Mumbai to Goa was scheduled, and he was invited as a guest by one Prateek Gaba. The petitioner had not recovered anything and had nothing in his hands. There was no need to detain my client.”
“The NCB dispatched officers to detain customers,” he continued. Arbaaz and Aryan have been captured. According to NCB, 6 grams of charas were found in Merchant’s shoes, although he denies it. Except for the fact that he is a buddy, my client seems unconcerned. A doctor did not examine Khan to see if he had consumed anything.” Rohatgi further stated that there was no evidence that Aryan was involved in narcotics trafficking. “There is no evidence of collusion or abetment, and I am not in any master-servant relationship. That is the conclusion based on all of the evidence presented in court. I am not admitting to any usage or consumption. These are lads in their early teens.
Aryan’s lawyers had already submitted a supplementary note to the HC, claiming that he had nothing to do with the allegations and counter-allegations being passed between the NCB’s zonal director Sameer Wankhede and certain political figures. “It (allegation) is on account of animosity with a political personality (Nawab Malik) whose son-in-law was detained,” claimed the zonal director of NCB in his affidavit. What is being stated today is affecting me. Please keep me out of the altercation.
In court, Rohtagi stated, “I (Aryan Khan) have no grievance.” Rohtagi further claimed that none of the WhatsApp conversations discovered from the phone had anything to do with the cruise party. “There is no consumption or possession in my opinion, and even if conscious possession is involved, the sentence is one year. Because it was only one event, Aryan is not prosecuted under section 27A of the NDPS Act. Aryan, on the other hand, has been charged with conspiracy under section 29. It’s a broad, hazy scenario. Their conspiracy charge applies to section 27A, and if it is used, the bar for providing bail under section 37 of the NDPS Act applies.
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“This case has no prior convictions,” he stated. To back up his claim, Rohatgi referenced Supreme Court and High Court decisions from the past. He highlighted a Bombay High Court judgment from August this year that mentioned “rehabilitation opportunities” for young people charged in NDPS cases. According to senior counsel Amit Desai, communication between two pals who play poker online was utilized to demonstrate drug ingestion. “There isn’t any plot going on.”
There was some chitchat between two pals who played poker 18 months ago, but it has nothing to do with this issue. Using an “umbrella charge of conspiracy,” NCB is enlisting the help of everybody and everyone, he claims. Due to a lack of time, the judge delayed the hearing on bail requests to Wednesday afternoon after Desai presented arguments for another applicant and stated he would require another half hour to argue.
