Despite reports that Aryan Khan was part of a drugs conspiracy, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has concluded that he was not a part of an international trafficking ring.
On October 2, Aryan was detained by the NCB for an alleged drug bust before the youngster even boarded it. He was soon taken into custody and consequently arrested. The 23-year-old was then sent to a 14-day judicial remand.
He was initially taken into custody for alleged possession of banned drugs and substance abuse on board a cruise ship in Mumbai and later arrested. Despite several bail attempts, Aryan sat behind bars for 28 days without any drugs being found on him. There was no evidence supporting the theory that he may be involved in a greater scheme of things – such as drug trafficking.
To many, Aryan’s arrest was an eye-opener in the rising discrimination against Muslims in India. The case had India’s leading political parties, BJP and Congress, locking horns.
According to a report published in the Hindustan Times, a Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the NCB has confirmed that there were several irregularities in the raid on the yacht Cordelia, during which Aryan was arrested.
Contrary to the allegations of NCB’s Mumbai unit, some of the key findings of the SIT officials were shared with the publication. “Aryan Khan was never in possession of drugs hence there was no need to take his phone and check his chats,” it stated.
“The chats do not suggest Khan was part of any international syndicate,” it added. “The raid was not video-recorded as mandated by the NCB manual and the drugs recovered from multiple accused arrested in the case shown as single recovery.”
Conspiracy charges against him have no foundation
The SIT probe, therefore, is not complete and it could take a couple of months before the unit submits its final report to NCB Director General S N Pradhan. But a legal opinion will be taken before the final decision, “particularly on the aspect whether Khan can be charged for consumption even though Aryan was not carrying any drugs,” said one of the officers.
The outlet claims the SIT probe “seems to raise more questions over the raid itself, and the conduct of the agency’s former Mumbai Zonal Unit director Sameer Wankhede”. The said inspector has been examined multiple times – both by the SIT and the agency’s vigilance team – to get to the truth in the case.
In November last year, a Mumbai court had stated there was not sufficient evidence against Aryan. “There is hardly any positive evidence on record to convince this Court that all the accused persons with common intention agreed to commit an unlawful act,” the court order read.
“Merely because Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, and Munmun Dhamecha were traveling on the same cruise, that by itself cannot be a foundation for the charge of conspiracy against them.”
By the way, did you know that Indian actor Juhi Chawla signed an INR Rs100,000 surety bond for his release?
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