The Esplanade Court here today extended the Narcotic Control Bureau’s custody of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, Arbaz Seth Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha till October 7. The three along with five others were formally arrested by the federal anti-narcotics agency on Saturday in connection with the rave party busted aboard a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast. On Sunday, a special court had remanded the trio to one-day NCB custody.The agency busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on Saturday night.
In the court, advocate Satish Maneshinde represented Aryan who has been booked under Sections 27 (punishment for consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance) and other provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The NCB had sought a longer custody of Khan, Merchant and Dhamecha (till October 13) to take forward the investigation, which it said has bigger ramifications. The lawyers of the trio, however, opposed NCB’s plea saying the agency has not been able to prove anything and arrested their clients because they are “high profile people”.
Six other accused – Nupur Satija, Ishmeet Chadha, Mohak Jaiswal, Gomit Chopra, Vikrant Chhokar and a drug supplier from suburban Juhu, were arrested late on Sunday and produced before the magistrate’s court on Monday.
The accused were produced before a Mumbai Court after their medical. Earlier, NCB told the court that they need Aryan in custody till October 11.
“Cruise ship party case: ASG Anil Singh appearing for NCB before a Mumbai Court says accused Aryan Khan, Arbaz Seth Merchant& Munmun Dhamecha booked under 8C, 20, 27,&35 NDPS Act. 5 more arrested & under investigation, he submits before court. NCB seeks 9-day custody of the accused,” tweeted ANI.
Meanwhile, NCB’s Superintendent V.V. Singh, in his arrest memo, said that Aryan Khan was being arrested under the NDPS Act for his “involvement in the consumption, sale and purchase of contraband” (drugs) along with other known and unknown persons.
The arrest was made in connection with the seizure of 13 gms cocaine, 5 gms MD, 21 gms charas, and 22 pills of MDMA, totally worth Rs 1,33,000 from him. Aryan Khan, 23, acknowledged and said that he understood the grounds of his arrest and has informed his family of the same.
