Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, is no stranger to the spotlight. Except perhaps the kind of headlines he’s been getting over the last few days. ‘Bollywood superstar SRK’s son Aryan Khan arrested in drugs case,’ screamed headlines on October 3, 2021, beginning a filmy saga that ultimately saw Aryan Khan cooling his heels at Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail.

Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3 in connection with a drugs raid conducted by the Narcotics Control Bureau. Helmed by zonal director Sameer Wankhede, the NCB’s Mumbai unit raided a cruise ship off the city coast. Aryan Khan, along with several others, was arrested and accused of consumption and ‘conspiracy’, among other charges.

They are booked under sections 8(c) read with 20b (purchase), 27 (consumption), 28 (attempt to commit offence), 29 (abetment/ conspiracy) and 35 (presumption of culpable mental state) of the NDPS Act.

Since October 3, Aryan Khan has been doing the rounds of courts in Mumbai seeking bail. As of October 20, Aryan Khan remains imprisoned at Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail after a special drugs court rejected his bail application. Aryan's lawyers have said they will be approaching the Bombay High Court to seek relief.

Aryan Khan was formally placed under arrest at around 2 pm on October 3, a day after the raid. Two others -- Munmun Dhamecha and Aryan’s friend Arbaaz Merchant -- were also arrested.

According to the arrest memo, Aryan Khan was placed under arrest for "involvement in consumption, sale and purchase" of contraband.

By then, the NCB had claimed to have seized 13 grams of cocaine, 5 grams of MD, 21 grams of charas, 22 pills of MDMA (ecstasy) and Rs 1.33 lakh in cash during the raid on Cordelia Cruises' ship.

Aryan Khan’s arrest in connection to a drug case has rattled not just the Bollywood industry but even the political cartel (and some alleged journalists too). Collectively, the establishment has come to defend Aryan Khan and even cast aspersions on the NCB.

Bloomberg Quint’s Priya Ramani is rewatching ‘My Name is Khan’ in 2021 because, “As India’s most popular Muslim (with 3.5 billion global followers according to one estimate) battles to save his son Aryan in what increasingly seems like a vendetta, it’s clear why Khan’s ability to make Indians believe in the power of love might be perceived as a threat in present-day India,” says Ramani.

Several ‘notable journalists’ have claimed that this is targeted harassment of a ‘Muslim superstar’. But is that the case? Let’s look at why Khan has been refused bail by the special court. 

Aryan Khan denied bail

Kartikeya Tanna, a lawyer, in his recent Twitter post said, “More I dwell into this case, more I realize that NCB may not be keen to pursue a case against Aryan Khan. Then why does it still want his custody? Because he can lead NCB to the real prize – the supplier network. Oddly, Aryan Khan doesn’t wish to disclose those names. Why?”

He also shared a nugget from the court order which read, “As argued by learned ASG though no criminal antecedents are there, from Whatsapp chats of applicant no. 1it is reflected that he was indulging in illicit drug activities.”

“Respondent claimed that accused no. 1 is in touch with foreign national and other drug dealers who appears to be part of an international drug network and investigation in this regard is going on and the respondent is tracing out the criminal antecedents of said persons,” read the order further.

Court order Image Source Twitter

“During interrogation applicant/accused no. 1 did not disclose names of said persons. Accused no. 1 is the only person who could disclose the details of said persons which are in the exclusive knowledge of accused no 1. In such circumstances if applicant/accused no. 1 is released on bail there are every chance of tampering with evidence as argued by Ld. ASG,” it concluded. 

Judge Patil in the order denying bail to Khan also wrote, “It appears that there is a case of conspiracy and abetment as alleged by the prosecution.” 

Here’s a quick look at the top developments in court:

October 4: During one of the first hearings in the Aryan Khan case, the NCB sought an extension of the star kid’s police custody till October 11. However, the court granted NCB custody of Aryan Khan and the others only till October 7.

October 7: The NCB again sought custody of Aryan till October 11. The court refused the demand and instead sent him to 14-day judicial custody. Aryan was shifted to Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail the next day. He was being held at the NCB office until then.

October 8: Aryan Khan moved the court for both interim and regular bail. The magistrate court, which was hearing the matter, rejected the bail application on grounds of it being ‘non-maintainable’ in that particular court.

October 11: A special NDPS court heard the bail plea and directed the NCB to file its reply by October 13.

October 13: The court adjourned the hearing for the next day after hearing arguments from both sides.

October 14: The special NDPS court judge reserved his order on Aryan Khan’s bail application. With courts shut for the weekend and other holidays, the next hearing was scheduled for October 20, meaning that Aryan would stay in jail at least until then.

October 20: In the afternoon, the special NDPS court rejected Aryan Khan's bail application. Aryan's lawyers said that they would go to the Bombay High Court in appeal against the rejection of bail by the lower court. Aryan Khan continues to remain in prison.

October 21: Aryan Khan's lawyer Satish Maneshinde, along with his team, went to the Bombay High Court. The court said it will hear Aryan Khan's appeal on Tuesday, October 26.

What are Aryan Khan’s major arguments in favour of bail?

• No drugs were recovered from him
• Alleged WhatsApp chats are unconnected to the current case
• Even if true, allegations pertain to ‘small quantity’ and ‘consumption’ only
• No criminal antecedents
• No likelihood of fleeing

What are the NCB’s major arguments against bail?

• Drugs recovered from Aryan’s friend Arbaaz Merchant (allegedly six grams of charas) were for both of them
• WhatsApp chats suggest ‘international drug trafficking’
• Aryan Khan is involved in conspiracy so the amount of drugs recovered is immaterial
• He is a regular consumer of contraband
• Release of any accused will hamper the investigation

Is NCB after Bollywood?

Right after Sushant Singh Rajput’s mysterious death, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has summoned multiple Bollywood celebrities in connection with possession or consumption of drugs since last year. Is NCB after Bollywood?

It all started with the arrest of Rajput’s rumoured girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. Since then, the left ecosystem calling it the centre’s hit-job against Bollywood has flooded several media and social media platforms painting the ones caught in connection to drug cases as innocents. 

However, in January this year, the NCB had busted a drug factory in South Mumbai, allegedly owned by gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s aide Chinku Pathan. 

The agency had recovered drugs worth crores, cash, and firearms reserves from the factory located in Dongri, which was once the strongholds of Dawood, and his associates. 

Gangster and henchman of Dawood Ibrahim, Chinku Pathan arrested

The NCB, in the raid, had also nabbed Parvez Khan alias Chinku Pathan, a henchman of fugitive Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. 

Khan who is also a relative of late Karim Lala- a mafia don active in Mumbai in the early 80s, was picked up by a team of NCB sleuths led by Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede from his hideout. 

Reportedly, Khan also has links with some drug peddlers, who were arrested by the NCB for Mephedrone (MD) trade earlier. 

Gangster arrested after 1200 km chase 

In April this year, the NCB had arrested another gangster and drug kingpin who was allegedly involved in running a drug laboratory behind a vegetable van for Dawood’s aide Chinku Pathan in Mumbai.

A team led by zonal director Sameer Wankhede arrested Danish Chikna from Rajasthan with the help of the local police of Rajasthan after a chase of 1200km. 

Danish Merchant aka Danish Chikna, is the son of Dawood Ibrahim’s former aide Yusuf Chikna and was wanted in two cases by NCB. 

Apart from dealing and supplying Mephedrone, Chikna was also involved in supplying Codeine to street children and addicts across Mumbai through his operators. 

Drug supplier suspected to have links with Sushant Rajput case arrested

The NCB in June this year had arrested Haris Khan (25), known to be working for Dawood Ibrahim’s aide Chinku Pathan. 

He was a supplier who ran his network in areas close to Bandra Reclamation and was suspected to have links with Sushant Singh Rajput’s murder case. 

Khan supposedly a fan of Dawood, had his social media page full of images with him posing like the dreaded gangster. Cops also found pictures of illegal weapons and drugs on his phone.

Haris Kahns social media profile. Image Source India Today

Haris too was arrested by a team of NCB led by Sameer Wankhede who raided the Bandra Reclamation-based tower where Haris resided with his family.

“Haris has a network of drug peddlers working for him and he is closely associated to Chinku Pathan, a drug lord, who had been neutralised by NCB some time ago. A lot of young people are suspected to be in the clientele of Khan,” said Wankhede after the arrest of Haris. 

Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Iqbal Kaskar arrested 

In the latter half of June, the NCB had arrested Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Iqbal Kaskar in a drug case after conducting raids at various locations in suburban Andheri, Lokhandwala and Bandra. 

Sonu Pathan arrested

Mohammed Khan alias Sonu Pathan, alleged to be an important member of the network of Dawood Ibrahim aide Chinku Pathan was arrested by the NCB in July. 

Another member of a gang run by Dawood Ibrahim’s aide Chinku Pathan arrested

The NCB in September had arrested Mohammad Arif Hingora, a drug peddler and a member of a gang run by Dawood Ibrahim’s aide Chinku Pathan in South Mumbai. 

As per the report, Mohammad Arif had made connections with African gangs in Mumbai after his regular drugs supply chain was hit after the arrest of Pathan.

NCP goes after Sameer Wankhede

As the NCB is tightening its noose around the drug cartel in Mumbai, several high-profile individuals have objected to the central agency’s operations. 

While threatening and taking personal digs at NCB’s Sameer Wankhede, NCP leader and Maharashtra Minority Affairs and Skill Development Minister Nawab Malik alleged that the raid was conducted on the luxury cruise liner on October 2 was ‘fake’ and that the department found no drugs during the raid. 

Malik claimed that BJP has misused the central agency to frame Aryan Khan. He had also asserted that a BJP person was accompanying the NCB team during the raid. Nawab Malik had levelled these allegations on Wednesday, October 6.

It may be recalled that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had on July 10, submitted a 1,000-page charge sheet against Nawab Malik’s son-in-law Sameer Khan for procuring, purchasing, transporting, and distributing drugs. 

Sameer Khan was arrested for possession of drugs on January 13th this year.

Police arrests Dawood’s aides in extortion case

While the NCB is relentlessly cracking the drug nexus, the police on the other hand are making arrests in cases related to extortion and money laundering. 

The Thane police investigating the extortion case against former Thane and Mumbai commissioner Param Bir Singh, arrested one Tariq Parveen in September, who is reportedly a close aide of underworld fugitive gangster Dawood. 

On October 17, Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch also informed that it is on a hunt for Dawood’s another aide Riyaz Bhati who has been named in the FIR against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh in an extortion case. 

As per a 2020 report, an aide of Dawood had allegedly dialled up now in hiding Maharashtra’s former Home Minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh after making calls to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Meanwhile, Aryan Khan will continue to remain in custody till October 30 for further interrogation. 

With the history of NCB cracking down on the drug nexus, it becomes evident that the agency is not after Bollywood per se. In fact, it would seem that they are not even after Aryan Khan, however, they want to ensure that the international cartel peddling drugs in India are nabbed. Aryan Khan too, was denied bail because he refused to reveal the names of the foreign drug peddlers that he may be in touch with or have knowledge of. Any insinuation about the NCB “framing” Aryan Khan seems motivated, to say the least.

References:

Indiatoday.in - Tarini Mehta, Mumbai - October 20, 2021
Opindia.com - OpIndia Staff - 22 October, 2021
Livelaw.in - Sharmeen Hakim20 Oct 2021