Took ganja for fun; took marijuana in US: Aryan Khan

Aryan Khan at NCB’s Ballard Estate office, in November 2021. FILe pic

The voluminous charge sheet filed by the NCB giving a clean chit to actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan in the drugs case shows contrasts between his statements given to NCB Mumbai and a special investigation team (SIT) of the agency. Aryan told NCB Mumbai that he consumed ganja for fun and sleeping disorders. But he told the NCB SIT that he never did drugs in India, though he consumed marijuana in Los Angeles.

As per the 5,000-page charge sheet, in his statement to NCB Mumbai, Aryan said, "I started smoking ganja in 2018 just for recreational purposes when I was in the USA. As ganja smoking is legal there, I started just for recreational purposes. Simultaneously I was having some sleeping disorders and on a few internet articles I read that ganja smoking can help. In March 2020, I came to Mumbai after completing my course. Then, through one of my friends, Adish Duggal, I procured imported ganja. I used to pay him Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per gram (sic)." On being asked about Arbaaz, Aryan said, "He is my friend since past 7-8 years and he also smokes ganja and hashish. I am not much fond of hashish but on the insistence of Arbaaz, on some occasions I have tried hashish [charas] also (sic)."

Khan was arrested on October 2 last year when he was to go on a cruise trip. His statement to NCB Mumbai says, "Before starting our personal search I was introduced to an officer namely Mr Sameer Wankhede as Gazetted Officer. During my search no drug was recovered from my possession but when the said officer asked for my mobile phone then I voluntarily gave the same. After checking some messages the officer asked me whether ‘you knew Arbaaz Merchant'. I replied positively then he asked me whether I deal with narcotic drugs in any manner. Then I replied that I am into consumption of narcotic drugs and I do only natural drugs like ganja or hashish. The Hasish recovered with Arbaaz was for consumption purpose only and probably it was procured by Arbaaz from Bandra. Then the NCB team tested that Charas with some kit and sealed the same charas. Then I was issued notice u/s 67 of NDPS by said officer with a direction to appear forthwith at NCB Mumbai Office. Then I proceeded to NCB Mumbai office for tendering my voluntary statement (sic)".

On chats with friends

When Aryan was confronted with chats of WhatsApp group named Titled Undecided with his friends Ananya Panday, Olivia H, Kanishka Lohar and Achit, he said he had done drugs with Olivia in Dubai. Aryan told the agency that he had a talk with Lohar about weed exchange and rolling paper. "She is also into weed and hash consumption and many times we have done it together…"

Ananya Panday, Aryan's childhood friend, at NCB office. File pic

Talking about Achit, he said, "It is regarding poker games and weed procurement. He is currently owing my R80,000 and he was unable to pay back my money so I was offering him to provide me ganja (weed) in bulk against the due money. To purchase ganja in bulks is for intention to recover my money from Achit. This Achit has some major weed supplier contact in Powai and Bandra, so he could have easily provided that to me."

What he told NCB SIT

NCB's SIT recorded Aryan's statement on November 11, 2021, after he got bail from the Bombay High Court. After his arrest, Aryan said, an officer named V V Singh forcibly took his phone and accessed it through his facial identification.

Aryan Khan in NCB custody last year. File pic

SIT recorded Aryan's statement in a Q & A format with 17 questions.

Aryan said he and Achit would refer to weed as "DOKHA" and would get it from local tobacco shops. Asked if he ever did drugs, he said, "Only experimentally for recreational purposes. I have consumed marijuana in the USA and Los Angeles. But I have never consumed any drugs including marijuana in India."

‘Got it from Ananya'

Aryan told NCB Mumbai that his childhood friend Ananya gave her weed after she found it with a close relative, who was a minor. He said she gave him the weed to dispose of. However, in her statement to NCB Mumbai on October 22, 2021, Ananya said, "...I want to explain that this is false and I am unaware why he is lying about this," adding, "I am completely unaware why he would say something like this in reference to a 2019 chat." Ananya said all the references to drugs in her chats with Aryan are just part of friendly banter. "I have consumed alcohol and smoked cigarettes with Aryan but never drugs and contrabands and I have never seen him consume any drugs."

Aryan on Ananya to SIT

Aryan told the SIT of NCB that his chat with Ananya about "drugs" was nothing but a joke. "I jokingly called her a drug dealer but she has never given me any drugs," he said. The SIT never questioned Ananya as the chats were not related to their case. While there are more than 35 alleged drug chats of Aryan mentioned in the charge sheet but none of those chats came under the purview of the SIT.

SIT's clean chit

While giving clean chit to Aryan Khan, the SIT in its charge sheet said, "During the analysis of voluntary statements of Aryan and Arbaaz A Merchant, Arbaaz A Merchant in none of his statements, claimed that the 06 gm Charas recovered from his possession was meant for consumption by Aryan Khan. Aryan Khan vide his voluntary statements also, never accepted that the recovered charas was to be consumed by him."

The SIT also said that its investigation will continue against known and unknown accused persons and a supplementary charge sheet will also be filed. Apart from Aryan, five more accused were given clean chit by the SIT raising serious questions on the investigation done by NCB Mumbai under former Zonal Director Sameer Wankhade. The NCB in its internal note to NCB director-general has said that investigating officer was "motivated" to frame Aryan.

2018
Year Aryan said he started smoking ganja

Oct 2
Date in 2021 when Aryan Khan was arrested