Aryan seemed to be indulging in drug activities regularly, says court

A special court denied bail to Aryan Khan the son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan observing that on the face of it he was indulging in illicit drug activities on a regular basis His WhatsApp chats also showed prima facie that he was in touch with drug peddlers the court notedAryan 23 arrested with a few others on October 3 after the Narcotics Control Bureau NCB raided a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast and claimed to have seized drugs including charas has now moved the Bombay High Court VV Patil special judge for the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances NDPS Act cases rejected the bail pleas of Aryan Khan his friend Arbaaz Merchant 26 and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha 28 The lawyers of Aryan Khan and Dhamecha moved the High Court seeking bail soon thereafterThe matter is likely to be mentioned on October 21 before Justice NW Sambre seeking urgent hearing legal sources said The special NDPS Act court in its 21page order noted that WhatsApp chats of Aryan Khan prima facie revealed that he was dealing in illicit drug activities on a regular basis and therefore it cannot be said that he was not likely to commit a similar offence if released on bailIt also held that Aryan knew that his friend and coaccused Arbaaz Merchant was in possession of drugs and hence there was conscious possession even though the NCB had not found any drugs on Aryan himself Considering the prima facie involvement of the applicantsaccused No 1 to 3 Aryan Khan Merchant and Dhamecha in commission of grave and serious offence this is not a fit case for granting bail the judge said in the orderThe material placed before it by the NCB showed on the face of it that section 29 of the NDPS Act pertaining to conspiracy was applicable said the court Therefore it is not possible to record a satisfaction at this stage that the applicants have not committed any offence under the NDPS Act the order said Case papers and voluntary statements of Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant disclosed that they possessed drugs for consumption and enjoyment the court noted further These things go to show that accused No 1 Aryan was having knowledge of the contraband concealed by accused No 2 Merchant in his shoes it saidAlthough no contraband is found in the possession of accused No 1 six grams of charas was found in possession of accused No 2 of which accused No 1 Aryan was having knowledge and thus it can be said that it was in conscious possession of both the accusediquest the court added In Aryans WhatsApp chats there is reference to bulk quantity and hard drugs and there is prima facie material showing that accused No 1 was in contact with persons dealing in prohibited narcotic substances the order said Prima facie it appears that there is a case of conspiracy and abetment as alleged by the prosecution it saidEarlier a magistrates court had rejected the accuseds bail pleas saying only a special court can hear these matters Khan Merchant and Dhamecha among others were arrested on October 3 for alleged conspiracy possession consumption purchase and trafficking of drugs under the NDPS Act They are now in judicial custody While Aryan Khan and Merchant are lodged at the Arthur Road prison Dhamecha is lodged at the Byculla womens prison in the city So far 20 persons have been arrested in the caseAlso Read Cruise drugs case Special NDPS court rejects Aryan Khans bail applicationThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever