Mumbai: The Bombay High Court will continue Wednesday hearing on a bail plea filed by Aryan Khan. He is the son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. Aryan Khan was arrested in a case of alleged seizure of narcotic drugs from a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast earlier this month.
Justice NW Sambre commenced Tuesday hearing on the bail application. Aryan Khan’s lawyers Mukul Rohatgi and Satish Maneshinde argued that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has no evidence against the 23-year-old. They said he was wrongly arrested and has been kept in jail for over 20 days.
“There is no evidence of consumption, no recovery of drugs. There is absolutely no evidence to show his participation in this so-called conspiracy and abetment as alleged by the NCB,” senior advocate Rohatgi said. Rohatgi completed his arguments after which the court said it would continue the hearing Wednesday on the bail pleas of co-accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha. It should also be stated that Rohatgi is a former Attorney General of India.
Also read: NCB opposes Aryan Khan’s bail plea, says he may ‘tamper’ investigation
The court will Wednesday also hear the arguments of Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh appearing for the NCB.
Aryan was arrested October 3. A special NDPS Act court has rejected his bail plea.
It should be stated here that earlier in the day, the NCB told the court through a written affidavit that Aryan should not be given bail at this crucial juncture of investigation. The NCB told the court in a written statement submitted Monday that Aryan is a ‘person of influence’ and can also ‘tamper’ with the investigation.
The probe agency also alleged to the Bombay High Court that the superstar’s manager Pooja Dadlani ‘appeared to have influenced’ a witness.
The anti-drugs agency said it needed more time to follow what it called the ‘international drug connection of Aryan Khan’ revealed in the investigation. “The same is being investigated and as per stipulated guidelines, sufficient time is required to properly unearth this international drug connection,” the NCB said in the statement.
“Further, considering the influential position Aryan Khan holds in the society, he may tamper with the evidence and influence other witnesses whom he personally knows is very much possible,” the probe agency told the High Court.
