Aryan continues to stay in jail as court reserves order on bail plea

Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, will continue to stay in jail as a special court on Thursday reserved its order on the bail pleas filed by him in the cruise ship drug case. The court is likely to pronounce the order next week.

During the hearing, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) stated that Aryan was a regular consumer of contraband. Citing government’s national policy on narcotics, Aryan’s counsel, Advocate Amit Desai, argued that he, as the end consumer, was a person affected by drug abuse. “You’re a person on the bottom of the chain, you’re a consumer. You’re a person affected by the drug menace as per the government’s own national policy on narcotic drug,” he said.

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On Wednesday, 10 days since Aryan was arrested along with his friend Arbaaz Merchant and model Munmum Dhamecha, the NCB opposed the bail plea filed by him, saying the probe so far has revealed his role in the conspiracy and illicit procurement and consumption of drugs.

The NCB in its affidavit also claimed that Aryan was in touch with people who appear to be a part of an international drug network. Further probe is on with regard to financial transactions done abroad, the agency said.

Calling the NCB allegations of “illicit drug trafficking” against Aryan as “inherently absurd”, his lawyer said a reformative approach is needed, as his client has suffered enough.

Desai also told the court that WhatsApp conversations between friends can often appear suspicious given the kind of language young people use today.

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“Please bear in mind one other reality. Today’s generation have a means of communication, which is English… not the Queen’s English… it’s sometimes what the older generation will call a torture. The way they communicate is very different,” he said.

“Conversions on chats can often be misunderstood. WhatsApp chats are supposed to be private conversations. But I am told there are no messages or conversations on the mobile about the rave party,” Desai said. “There is always a possibility that casual conversations between friends on WhatsApp may appear suspicious.”