Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3 in connection with sale and consumption of banned drugs, on Wednesday moved the Bombay High Court, challenging the special NDPS court order, rejecting his bail application.
While Aryan’s plea could not be mentioned before the Single-Judge Bench of Justice Nitin W. Sambre due to paucity of time today, it is likely to be mentioned and heard on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
The bail applications of Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, who were also arrested by NCB from Goa-bound cruise Cordelia along with Aryan off the Mumbai coast, were rejected by the special NDPS court, as well.
Apart from these three, 12 others arrested in the drugs on cruise case have also filed for bail. The NCB has filed its replies and Special Judge V.V. Patil will begin hearing arguments of the other accused from tomorrow.
Aryan (23) is currently lodged in Arthur Road prison in Mumbai.
In its last hearing on October 19, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh, appearing for NCB, had argued that there was need to take a “serious view” of drug abuse among the youngsters and that the principle of innocence, until proven guilty, does not apply under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. He had alleged that Aryan was not a “consumer for the first time”. The evidence, according to Singh, had showed that Aryan was a “regular consumer of contraband for the past few years”.
Senior lawyer Amit Desai, representing Aryan, said that NCB had submitted no material on how granting bail to Aryan would hamper its investigation, including any communication or chats on alleged drug use at the cruise party that was raided. After hearing the arguments, Special Judge Patil had reserved its order.