Aryan Khan clean chit: SRK ‘relieved’, says lawyer; ex-NCB officer silent

Actor Shah Rukh Khan would be “very relieved” on knowing that his son Aryan Khan has been given a clean chit in the cruise drugs case, their lawyer Mukul Rohatgi said.

“I am very relieved and so must be my clients, including Shah Rukh Khan. Ultimately, truth has prevailed,” Rohatgi told news channel NDTV.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) filed the chargesheet in the case on Friday (May 27) and charged 14 people while there was no charge against six, including Aryan Khan.

Aryan and 19 others had been arrested on October 3, 2021 during a raid by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on a cruise boat party. He was kept in custody for more than 3 weeks. However, the NCB’s attempts to charge him based on WhatsApp chats failed and he had to be given bail. NCB however did question actor Ananya Pandey based on WhatsApp chats.

“There was no material to charge this young man or arrest him. No drugs were found on him. I am happy that the NCB acted professionally in admitting their mistake,” advocate Rohatgi told NDTV.

“The anxiety it caused to the accused and his parents…it was a harrowing experience for him and his family,” said Rohatgi.

Also read: NCB gives clean chit to Aryan Khan, five others in drugs-on-cruise case

Meanwhile, Sameer Wankhede, the NCB officer who led the raid, told India Today that he had nothing to say on Aryan Khan’s clean chit.

“Sorry, I can’t comment. I am not in the NCB, talk to NCB officials,” Wankhede told India Today.

Director General (DG) of NCB SN Pradhan however said that there was always the possibility of filing a supplementary chargesheet in case any fresh evidence comes to light.

“There were some loopholes in the initial investigation. Because of that, action was taken against a few officials in the past,” he said.

Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik’s daughter Sana Malik Shaikh tweeted, “Farziwada exposed! Truth always prevails!”

Farziwada exposed!
Truth always prevails!#NawabMalik #Farziwada #AryanKhan https://t.co/ZzZwTty8H2

— Ar. Sana Malik-Shaikh (@sanamalikshaikh) May 27, 2022

Nawab Malik’s office sought to know whether Sameer Wankhede and the “private army” behind Aryan Khan’s arrest would face action.

“Now that #AryanKhan and 5 others get a clean chit. Will #NCB  take action against #SameerWankhede his team and the private army? Or will it shield the culprits?”

Now that #AryanKhan and 5 others get a clean chit.
Will #NCB take action against #SameerWankhede his team and the private army?
Or will it shield the culprits? @ANI @PTI_News #FarziwadaExposed#NawabMalik#TruthPrevails

— Office of Nawab Malik (@OfficeofNM) May 27, 2022

Malik had accused Wankhede of wrongly framing people in drug cases, and also of securing a government job by forging documents.

NCB 8 months ago: Aryan part of international drug syndicate

NCB now: No proof found against Aryan.

— Sanket Upadhyay (@sanket) May 27, 2022

Throughout this horrible fiasco framing his son, @iamsrk has maintained a stoic and dignified silence- probably the most sensible thing to have done. Today must come as such a blessed relief after all the trauma!

— Ajay Kamath (@ajay43) May 27, 2022

Even with no possession of drugs and not being under influence suggested by the dope tests, SRK's son #AryanKhan spent a month in jail

Says a lot about the skewed system

Clean chit to Aryan doesn't make up for the damages. There must be a formal apology for dragging an innocent

— BRIJWA SRK FAN (@BrijwaSRKman) May 27, 2022

Media should practice restraint before maligning on halfbaked evidence.
"Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), on May 27, submitted a charge-sheet in 2021 drugs-on-cruise case involving Aryan Khan, the son of actor Shah Rukh Khan …. gave him clean chit." https://t.co/zYHu4DK1EW

— Ila Sharma (@ila_home) May 27, 2022

It took Aryan Khan 24 days in prison, 8 months of investigation, some of India’s most expensive lawyers, and a very influential family to get justice.

To the thousands who languish in India’s prisons as undertrials, without having been found guilty, justice will seem selective.

— Anup Surendranath (@asurendranath) May 27, 2022