Special court denies bail to Aryan Khan, two others in alleged drug bust

A special court in Mumbai set up to hear cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has denied bail to actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and two others arrested in connection with an alleged drug bust on a cruise ship off the coast of Mumbai on 2 October.

The special court had reserved its order on Thursday 14 October on the bail pleas filed by Aryan and the other two, as a result of which they had to remain in judicial custody until today on account of the Dussehra and Eid-e-Milad holidays in between.

Today, the court, presided over by judge VV Patil, said Aryan, Munmun Dhamecha and Arbaaz Merchant would remain in judicial custody as directed by a magistrate's court earlier.

Aryan, Merchant and Dhamecha had filed their bail pleas before the special court following the magistrate's direction.

The magistrate had sent the trio to judicial custody on 7 October, rejecting the Narcotics Control Bureau's fervent pleas for further custody, but refused to take up their bail pleas citing jurisdictional limitations.

The trio has been booked under section 8(C) read with sections 20(B) (relating to purchase), 27 (consumption), 28 (attempt to commit offence), 29 (abetment/conspiracy) and 35 (presumption of culpable mental state) of the NDPS Act.

While Aryan Khan was not found in possession, five grams of charas were allegedly recovered from his friend Merchant while six grams were shown to have been recovered from Dhamecha, a model.

According to the legal news website LiveLaw.in, the NCB relied on WhatsApp messages found on Aryan's phone, the raid inquest report, and disclosure statements under section 67 of the NDPS Act.

The NCB, represented by senior advocate Advait Sethna and additional solicitor general Anil Singh, claimed that Aryan was a regular user of narcotics and was involved in the illicit procurement and distribution of the material.

Aryan's counsel Amit Desai argued that the NCB had neither recovered any drugs from him nor was he carrying money that could indicate plans of purchase. He argued that the NCB was simply misinterpreting WhatsApp conversations.