Lagatar24 Desk
Mumbai, Nov.5: Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, will have to appear by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) today between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to register his presence. The Bombay High Court imposed this requirement while giving bail to the 23-year-old who was arrested by the agency in the drugs-on-cruise case, along with numerous others. After 22 days in custody, Aryan Khan was freed from Mumbai’s Arthur Road Prison on October 30.
Although no narcotics were found on him, the anti-drugs agency claimed in court that his WhatsApp conversations revealed his involvement in “illicit drug deals” and ties to a foreign drug cartel.
The Bombay High Court imposed 14 restrictions on Aryan Khan’s bail, including the need that he not leave Mumbai without first telling the police and that he appear in front of the agency every Friday. The requirements include, among other things, not engaging in similar actions, not communicating with other defendants, such as his acquaintance Arbaaz Merchant, and not speaking to the media.
If any of these restrictions are broken, the NCB might ask for bail to be revoked.
The high-profile case has taken a political turn, with NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik levelling severe claims and insinuations against NCB officer Sameer Wankhede, who is probing the issue. Wankhede was born a Muslim, according to the minister, but he fabricated documents, including a caste certificate, to pass himself off as a Scheduled Caste (SC) person after passing the UPSC examinations.
Malik also accused Devendra Fadnavis, the former Chief Minister, of participating in a film reportedly funded by a drug trader. Fadnavis disputed the charge in a press conference. Mr Malik, according to the former Chief Minister, has ties to the underworld, and he promised to bring evidence after Diwali.
