Aryan Khan promises to help the poor after bail

Aryan Khan has sought bail on the grounds that nothing was found on him

As Aryan Khan spends time behind bars waiting for bail, the Narcotics Control Bureau has used its soft skills to counsel him on the ill effects of drugs on the social fabric. A senior NCB officer told mid-day that the son of actor Shahrukh Khan has promised them that he would be taking the responsibility to uplift the downtrodden people, including cancer patients, from Bandra and nearby areas.

The young Khan was arrested on October 3 after the anti-drugs agency busted a rave party aboard a cruise liner heading for Goa. An officer said all others arrested in the case have also been counselled at NCB's Mumbai office in the presence of top officers. "We have been taking a lot of efforts to eradicate drugs from the society and have arrested many people in consumption cases … but what we noticed is that people have not quit consuming drugs despite knowing the fact that they can be re-arrested by the agency," said a senior NCB officer.

An agency source said they focus beyond seizures and arrests through counselling sessions. NCB has reeled in religious leaders for these efforts led by its Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, who has carried out multiple raids in and around Mumbai in past months. The top officer himself steps in to enlighten drug-dependent youth with the ill effects of substance abuse, said a source. "We have roped in religious leaders from ISKON temple and Ulemas who visit our office to help the accused [arrested in drug consumption cases] quit drugs," said the source.

Sources said NCB's Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede himself tries to convince arrested youth to stay off drugs. Pic/Shadab Khan

Another source said, "It was much required as we have arrested not less than 300 youth for consumption but they were not quitting drugs after getting bail. So if the youth is religious, we have started to give them spiritual and holy books to study during our custody; and if they are not much inclined towards their religions, our zonal director himself takes a session and convinces them to take some social responsibilities like helping poor people, orphans, beggars, street dwellers, and others to uplift them, to feed them."

"Aryan Khan belongs to a high-profile family. So he has been asked to help cancer patients, adopt some families to take care of their well-being, help them with food, etc. so that he can know the world beyond rave parties," said an NCB officer. Officials have bought holy books including the Bible, Quran Shareef in Hindi and Arabic, and a copy of Bhagavad Gita. "These books are read by those who have been arrested in a drug consumption case… besides strictly reading the holy books, these youth have been asked to do shram daan like keeping their premises neat and clean. These are the parts of the deaddiction session," said the officer.

"Besides Khan, the others arrested in the cruise drug bust case have been strictly asked to read the religious books or do shram daan and help the destitute instead of deteriorating their health and wasting money on drugs," said the officer.

Told to send proof of work

Wankhede has also asked Khan and others to send him their pictures of helping poor families. "Once they are released on bail, they have been given instructions to help needy people with their basic requirements for at least 6 months and send him [Wankhede] their pictures to showcase the good work they are doing," said the source.

"Aryan Khan has agreed that once he is released on bail, he would visit the slum pockets in Bandra and nearby areas to help the needy. He has promised Wankhede that he would contribute to nation-building by helping the poor and make his parents proud," said the source, adding, "He has told Wankhede that I was not aware that I can make everyone feel proud by doing a national service."

Rippon Sadh from the ISKON temple at Juhu said the NCB has sought his help in helping youth held in consumption cases quit dependence on narcotic substances. "We have been doing kirtans, and we deliver religious speeches to dissuade youth from consuming drugs. We have been visiting the NCB office in Mumbai to take the deaddiction sessions. We have been distributing knowledge and helping people," Sadh told mid-day.

The chairman of Jama Masjid of Bombay Trust Shuaib Khatib said, "The NCB officer Sameer Wankhede contacted us to help them in their deaddiction programme so that the youth, who got deviated from the original path to consume drugs, can fall in line."

"Consumption of all sorts of narcotic substance and alcohol is haram in Islam… so our religious leaders have been meeting the Muslim youth arrested by NCB to help them live a disciplined life," Khatib told mid-day.