The Narcotics Control Bureau on Friday gave a ‘clean chit’ to Aryan Khan in the high-profile Mumbai cruise drugs case. The son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was last year arrested by the drug agency along with several others after a cruise was raided off the coast of Mumbai and drugs were found. He was later given bail. LIVE COVERAGE
Complaint against six persons has not been filed due to ‘lack of evidence’ while 14 have been chargesheeted in the case. The NCB filed its ‘final’ chargesheet in the Special Court as its 60-day extension to file the document was nearing its end on May 29.
The chargesheet said Aryan had not been found in possession of any narcotics. “Based on an input NCB Mumbai on 02.10.2021, intercepted Vikrant, Ishmeet, Arbaaz, Aryan and Gomit at International Port Terminal, MbPT and Nupur, Mohak and Munmun at the Cordelia Cruise. All the accused persons were found in possession of narcotics except Aryan and Mohak,” said a press release by the agency.
“Initially, the case was investigated by NCB Mumbai. Later an SIT from NCB (New Delhi), headed by Sanjay Kumar Singh, DDG (Ops), was constituted to investigate the case, which was taken over by the SIT on 6 November 2021. Based on the investigation carried out by SIT, a complaint against 14 persons under various sections of the NDPS Act is being filed. Complaint against rest six persons is not being filed due to lack of sufficient evidence,” the release said.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Singh told CNN-News18 that the drugs found on Arbaaz ‘were not meant for Aryan’. The official added that Aryan’s family members had also never been questioned in the case.
Former AG Mukul Rohatgi, who had defended Aryan Khan against the NCB, told CNN-News18 after the development that he was ‘very relieved that the young man has got a clean chit’.
“It was clear to me from day one. It was a wrong and hasty arrest, there was no material found. Now, the future is bright. The bad patch is over and he should forget this,” Rohatgi said, adding that he did not know whether the Khans would ‘slap a case on Wankhede’.
The NCB had busted a high-profile drug party on a Cordelia cruise liner en route from Mumbai to Goa on October 2 last year. According to reports, then NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede and his crew boarded the cruise ship as guests after getting information from the CISF about the alleged drug party.
The cruise ship was raided by the NCB squad, and minor quantity of cocaine, mephedrone, charas, hydroponic weed, MDMA, and Rs 1,33,000 in cash were seized. The NCB apprehended eight persons, including Aryan Khan, while letting six others go. The number increased to 20 during the course of the investigations.
After spending more than three weeks at the central Mumbai facility following his arrest, the son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was released on bond on October 30. Bail was granted on the condition that he report to the NCB on a weekly basis. The condition was then changed, and he was instructed to appear before the investigating agency as and when summoned.
After serious allegations against then-Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, who was leading the inquiry, the NCB’s SIT, led by Sanjay Singh, took over the matter. Even post that, the NCB had suspended two officers- Chief Investigating Officer Superintendent VV Singh and Intelligence Officer Ashish Ranjanin Mumbai- for indulging in ‘suspicious activities’ on April 13. However, after over 22 days, on May 5, their suspension was revoked.
Meanwhile, Wankhede has refused to comment on the development, saying he was ‘not associated with the case’.
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