Mumbai’s special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court on Wednesday rejected the bail applications of Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, reported news agency ANI.
The trio is presently in judicial custody. While Aryan Khan and Merchant are lodged at the Arthur Road prison in Mumbai, Dhamecha is lodged at the Byculla women’s prison
Aryan Khan and others accused in the case have been booked for offences under Sections 8(c), 20(b), 27, 28, 29 and 35 of the NDPS Act.
This came after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai on Wednesday submitted Khan’s WhatsApp chats reportedly with a debut actress to the court.
“Police have found drug-related WhatsApp chats that are allegedly between Aryan Khan and a debut actress,” said the probe agency.
Khan had recently spoken to his parents – Shahrukh and Gauri Khan – through a video call from inside the prison and also received ₹4,500 through money-order.
An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on 2 October.
Along with Aryan, a total of 20 people, including two Nigerian nationals, have been arrested so far in the case related to the seizure of drugs following the raid at a party on the cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.
Many personalities from the entertainment and political circles have come out in support of Aryan Khan after his arrest.
Recently, lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar told media persons that Aryan is paying the price for being high profile.
Referencing the 13 September Mundra port drug bust by the NIA where 2988.21 Kgs of Narcotics substance was seized in Gujrat, the 76-year-old veteran said, “I’ve not seen any headline on recovery of cocaine worth 1 billion dollars at a port but the recovery of charas or ganja worth 1.30 lakh, where only 1200 people were present, has become big national news.”
“This is the price the film industry has to pay for being high profile because when you are so, people want to pull you down,” he added.
Separately, a Shiv Sena leader has filed a petition in Supreme Court seeking a judicial enquiry into affairs of the NCB and its officials at Mumbai and to protect the fundamental rights of Aryan Khan.
The plea stated that NCB and its officials are involved in “dirty vendetta affairs” targeting select film celebrities and few models for the last two years.
