Aryan Khan sent to 14-day judicial custody, bail pleas to be heard on Friday

NCB officer with Aryan Khan leaving for Esplanade Court from NCB office in Mumbai on Thursday. Pic/Atul Kamble

The Killa Court on Thursday remanded Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, and seven others to judicial custody in connection with the alleged seizure of banned drugs from a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.

Their bail applications will be heard on Friday, the court said.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had sought an extension of their custody, but the request was not granted.

Also read: NCB's independent witness K P Gosavi absconding in cheating case since 2018: Pune Police

Aryan Khan with NCB officers in Mumbai. Pic/Pallav Paliwal

Court hearing - Highlights

- New details have surfaced in the last two days and we need some more time, the NCB's remand application reads.

- Public prosecutor said, Achit Kumar is a supplier of Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant and that the NCB has also recovered 2.6 grams of ganja from him.

- The NCB claims that Kumar is part of the cannabis supply network.

- Achit Kumar's lawyer Ashwin Thool said, "If he is part of the cannabis supply network, then why is he charged with just consumption?".

- Achit Kumar sent to NCB custody till October 9.

- Aryan Khan's lawyer Satish Maneshinde said in court, "Confrontation cannot be the only ground for custody."

- Satish Maneshinde also said that his client was invited as a guest and probably only to add glamour to the cruise event.

- Munmun Dhamecha's lawyer Ali Kashif Khan claims that she doesn't know Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant.

- "There is absolutely nothing about Munmun. Why are they seeking her custody," Khan tells court.

- Arbaaz Merchant's lawyer Taraq Sayyad said in court, "There is nothing to justify further custody."-

- After hearing all the arguments, the court said no further custody is required as sufficient time was given to the Investigation officer.

- "Simply remanding the accused in custody would violate their fundamental rights," the court said.

- All accused sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

- Sameer Wankhede, the zonal director has requested to keep the accused in NCB as jail authorities do not admit the accused without Covid-19 report.

- As per the court, the accused cannot be sent to jail due to lack of a negative Covid-19 test report. They will spend the night at the NCB office.

- The court said the bail applications will be heard at 11 am on Friday.