Hummingbird News Desk
NEW DELHI, 4 OCT: A local court on Monday extended the NCB custody of Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and two others till 7 October in connection with the seizure of banned drugs onboard a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast. The court also sent five others arrested in the alleged drug racket busted on a cruise to NCB custody till 7 October.
Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were produced before the court after the end of their one-day custody given to NCB on Sunday.
Additional Solicitor General appearing for NCB argued that the central agency has seized 13 grams of cocaine, five grams of MD (mephedrone), 21 grams of charas, 22 pills of MDMA (ecstasy) and Rs 1,33,000 cash at the International Cruise Terminal, Mumbai.
He argued that the investigation reveals connections of the accused with the suppliers. In this connection, five others were also arrested. Mr. Singh said ‘shocking and incriminating’ material is found from Mr Khan’s mobile. He sought their custody till 11 October, arguing, “Unless we investigate the consumer how do we know who the supplier is and who is financing it?”
However, advocate Satish Maneshinde representing Mr. Khan said nothing was recovered from him and whatever recovery was made, was from the ship. He contended no presumptions can show a nexus of him with the alleged crime.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate R.M. Nirlekar said, “It is not disputed that as in the case of Rhea Chakraborty, all sections under Narcotics Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) are non-bailable. I am of the view that investigation is of prime importance. Considering this aspect, presence of the accused with NCB is necessary.” He then extended their NCB custody till 7 October.
Other arrested accused — Nupur Sarika, Ismeet Singh, Mohak Jaswal, Vikrant Chhoker and Gomit Chopra — were also produced in court. Counsels for all these accused said allegations against them are vague and are made in a casual manner. They argued that the arrest of all the accused is illegal. NCB sought their custody till 13 October. However, the court remanded them to NCB custody till 7 October.
All of them are charged with sections 8 (c) – prohibition to produce, manufacture, possess, sell, purchase, transport, warehouse, use, consume, import inter-State, export inter-State, import into India, export from India or tran-ship any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance, 20 (b) – punishment for contravention in relation to cannabis plant and cannabis produces, manufactures, possesses, sells, purchases, transports, imports inter-State, exports inter-State or uses cannabis, 27 – punishment for consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance, 28 – punishment for attempts to commit offences and 29 punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy read with 35 presumption of culpable mental state of the NDPS Act.
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Tags: #AryanKhan #ShahRukhKhan #raveparty #CruiseDrugBust #NCB #Mumbai
