Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan granted bail in drugs case

The Bombay High Court granted bail to Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, in a drugs case on Thursday.

The bail applications of the co-accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were accepted by the court as well.

The 23-year-old was taken into custody with seven others on October 3 after a raid was carried out by the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) during a rave party on a cruise ship.

He was in the Arthur Road jail on October 8 and his bail applications were rejected twice.

The seven conditions of his bail, set by NCB, includes not fleeing the country without seeking permission, surrendering his passport and not interacting with the media.

Aryan Khan’s counsel Mukul Rohatgi informed the Bombay High Court his client’s arrest was wrong and violated his constitutional rights.

The lawyer further added that the case was filed against him on the basis of two-year-old WhatsApp chats which had nothing to do with the cruise party.

“These are young boys,” Rohatgi was quoted saying in the report. “They can be sent to rehab and they need not undergo trial.”

He added: “If you possess and consume a small quantity and are willing to go to rehab, you are not liable for prosecution.”

The lawyer representing NCB Anil Singh once again mentioned that Aryan Khan regularly takes drugs and his WhatsApp chats highlight that he was procuring “hard drugs” in large quantities.

“Accused number 1 (Aryan Khan) is not a first-time consumer,” Singh said. “He is a regular consumer since last few years and he has been procuring drugs.”

He added: “There is a reference of procuring drugs in commercial quantity and the drugs are hard drugs. He has been in contact with peddlers.”

When asked about the evidence supporting his argument, he said that he is relying on showing that Aryan Khan was trying to deal with drugs on commercial quantity.

“Not only that, when they were apprehended on the ship, multiple drugs were found with all eight. It cannot be a coincidence. If you see the quantity and nature of drug it cannot be coincidence,” Mr Singh said.

Rohatgi, in his reply, claimed that 1,300 people were on the cruise when the raid happened.

“There are 500 rooms in the Taj. If two people are consuming in two rooms will you hold the entire hotel? There is absolutely no material for purposes of conspiracy,” he said.