News Analysis India

Tag: Aryan Khan

  • NCB ‘misinterpreting’ WhatsApp chats to implicate me in drugs case: Aryan Khan to Bombay High Court

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, in his plea in the Bombay High Court seeking bail, has said the NCB was “misinterpreting” his WhatsApp chats to implicate him in the case of seizure of banned drugs aboard a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast earlier this month.

    Aryan Khan, currently in jail, on Wednesday moved the HC after a special court rejected his application for bail.

    The HC will hear his bail plea on October 26.

    In his appeal in the HC against the special court order, Aryan Khan said the Narcotics Control Bureau’s “interpretation and misinterpretation” of the WhatsApp chats collected from his mobile phone was “wrong and unjustified”.

    ALSO READ: Aryan Khan’s custody extended till October 30, Ananya Panday grilled

    The 23-year-old claimed no contraband was recovered from him after the NCB raided the ship and maintained he has no connection with any of the other accused in the case except Arbaaz Merchant and Aachit Kumar.

    So far, the anti-drugs agency has arrested as many as 20 people in connection with the case.

    The appeal further said the WhatsApp chats that are being relied upon by the NCB are “ex-facie (on the face of it) of a period prior to the incident”.

    “By no stretch of imagination can those purported messages be linked to any conspiracy for which the secret information was received,” it said.

    ALSO READ: Shah Rukh Khan’s bodyguard visits NCB office to hand over documents

    “The interpretation of the WhatsApp messages is that of the investigating officer and such interpretation is unjustified and wrong,” the appeal said.

    Aryan Khan also questioned the special court’s contention, while refusing him bail, that since he is an influential person he may tamper with evidence in the case if released from custody.

    “There is no presumption in law that merely because a person is influential, there is likelihood of him tampering with the evidence,” the appeal said.

    Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3 by the NCB along with his friend Arbaaz Merchant (26) and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha (28).

    The trio is presently in judicial custody.

    While Aryan Khan and Merchant are lodged at the Arthur Road prison in central Mumbai, Dhamecha is at the Byculla women’s prison.

    A special court, designated to hear cases related to the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), refused to grant them bail noting that “they were part of the conspiracy”.

    The lower court had said Aryan Khan had a “nexus with drug peddlers and suppliers and had indulged in illicit drug activities on a regular basis”.

  • Drugs-on-cruise case: Shah Rukh Khan’s bodyguard visits NCB office to hand over documents

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A bodyguard of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan visited the office of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) here on Friday evening and handed over some documents in a sealed envelop on the actor’s behalf, sources said.

    He did not speak to the reporters waiting outside the office and left.

    The day before, an NCB team had visited the actor’s residence `Mannat’ in suburban Bandra seeking some documents related to the investigation of the alleged drug seizure case in which Khan’s son Aryan has been arrested.

    Aryan (23) was arrested by the NCB on October 3 following a raid on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.

    His bail plea is now before the high court.

  • Ananya Panday grilled again, denies helping Aryan Khan get drugs: Report

    Ananya Panday was reportedly asked questions on chats that appeared to indicate that she helped Aryan Khan procure weed, say NCB sources quoted by news agency ANI.

  • Ananya Panday denies helping Aryan Khan get drugs, to be quizzed again on Monday

    By Online Desk

    Ananya Panday, daughter of actor Chunky Panday,  has been summoned by the NCB for further questioning on Monday.

    Ananya was questioned by the NCB in the drugs-on-cruise case for the second time on Friday.

    The actor was summoned reportedly on the basis of WhatsApp chats found on the phone of Aryan Khan, who was arrested in the drugs-in-cruise case on October 2 and has been in jail since October 8. She was reportedly quizzed on the WhatsApp chats that hinted that she helped Aryan Khan procure weed, news agency ANI said quoting NCB.

    Ananya has reportedly denied allegations of supplying or using drugs.

    NCB official Ashok Mutha Jain was quoted by ANI as saying, “She (Ananya Panday) has been called again on Monday morning, questioning will be done. The further procedure will take place.”

    On Friday, Ananya was reportedly asked questions on chats that appeared to indicate that she helped Aryan Khan procure weed, say NCB sources quoted by news agency ANI.

    #WATCH | Mumbai: Actor Ananya Panday, her father Chunky Panday reach NCB office.Ananya has been summoned by NCB for questioning. pic.twitter.com/SKiPf2S3P7
    — ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021
    Earlier, Ananya along with her father Chunky Panday arrived at the NCB’s Mumbai office after the probe agency summoned her for questioning in connection with the Mumbai cruise drug case. She was summoned by the NCB on Thursday too. During the questioning on Thursday, the actor denied the allegations of supplying and consuming drugs.

    As per the NCB sources, Ananya denied the allegation of supplying drugs to Aryan Khan, who is an accused in the case, and said that she has never consumed the drugs.

    ALSO READ | Chats recovered from Aryan Khan’s mobile reveal Ananya Panday supplied him weed thrice: NCB sources

    “The chats recovered from Aryan Khan’s mobile phone reveal that in the year 2018-19, she helped supply drugs to Aryan thrice by providing him the numbers of drug dealers,” NCB sources told ANI.

    “Ananya denied the supply-related talks in the chat conversation and told the NCB officials that she has never consumed or supplied the drugs,” they added.

    Ananya Panday has been summoned by NCB today in connection with the Mumbai cruise raid case as well on suspicion of drug consumption. The summon has been issued based on the chats recovered from Aryan Khan’s mobile.

    Earlier on Thursday, an NCB team was seen at Ananya Panday’s house, following which, the actor was summoned by the probe agency at its office. Later, Ananya Panday, along with her father Chunky Panday, reached NCB’s office.

    Meanwhile, one more drug peddler was detained by NCB on Friday morning in connection with the cruise drug case.

    The probe agency has conducted six raids or searches in Mumbai and nearby areas in the last two days in connection with the cruise drugs case, said sources.

    An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on October 2. 

  • ‘Family is being attacked, will take legal action’: NCB’s Sameer Wankhede replies to Nawab Malik’s ‘threat’

    By Express News Service

    MUMBAI: NCP leader and Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik on Thursday demanded to know what was the NCB’s Mumbai region chief Sameer Wankhede doing in Dubai and the Maldives with his family during the pandemic lockdown and threatened him with jail for “concocting drug cases against Bollywood personalities”.

    “It’s very clear all this ‘vasuli’ (extortion) took place in Maldives and Dubai. I am releasing those photos. What was he doing in Maldives-Dubai, he must answer,” Malik said at a public rally in Pune amid thunderous applause.

    Daring Wankhede to come clean on his Dubai-Maldives sojourns with family, Malik, who is the national spokesperson of NCP, said attempts were made to implicate certain film folks in fake cases and parade them before the NCB.

    “Along with some Bharatiya Janata Party people, Wankhede is threatening the film industry people… I am repeating – He keeps filing false cases and arresting people based on WhatsApp chats and without any evidence. I am going to reveal more on this,” Malik warned.

    The NCP leader declared that soon, he will “expose Wankhede with full proof on all the fake cases with which he’s trying to instill fear in Bollywood,” for which he would pay a heavy price.

    “Within six months he will lose his job and within a year, he will be jailed. I am collecting evidence against him,” he said.

    He released some photos of Sameer Wankhede’s sister Jasmeen Wankhede, ostensibly shot in the Maldives with captions and tagging her friends, including Fletcher Patel who had called her the ‘Lady Don’.

    Mutha Ashok Jain, deputy director, southwest zone of NCB issued a note clarifying that Wankhede visited the Maldives with family but not Dubai. “Sameer Wankhede had sought leaves for a family trip to the Maldives on July 27, 2021. But he had not sought any leave for Dubai,” he clarified.

    After NCB’s clarification, Nawab Malik shared the photograph of Sameer Wankhede with his sister Yasmeen Wankhede at Dubai’s Grand Hyatt Hotel on December 10, 2021. Malik tweeted, “Sameer Wankhede accepted the fact that he had visited the Maldives but he denies his Dubai visit. Here is the proof of his visit to Dubai with his sister. Wankhede was at Dubai’s Grand Hyatt Hotel on December 10, 2021.”

    Wankhede reacted to Malik’s statements as a “personal attack” on him and his family members. “Even my deceased mother retired father, and sister are not spared. I strongly condemn this,” Wankhede said.

    Jasmeen Wankhede also hit back, asking whether “Malik is a judge”, and said she was accountable to her family or friends and the NCP leader had no business to make public her private trip.

    Sameer Wankhede, who had arrested Malik’s son-in-law Sameer Khan in January 2021 in an alleged drugs case, said in an anguished tone: “I fail to understand why the attacks on me, my sister, my retired father, my deceased mother when I am merely doing my duty. The cases are sub-judice. I will give a fitting reply later.”

    Malik added that after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput (June 2020), Wankhede was brought to the NCB but the mystery continues whether Sushant committed suicide or it was a murder.

    “But, thereafter, the NCB has started playing its games with the film industry. Dozens of stars were summoned on WhatsApp conversations. Rhea Chakraborty was arrested for some Rs 4,000 payment.”

    He reiterated his demand to probe the WhatsApp records of Sameer Wankhede which would reveal the “bogus” nature of the NCB’s cases.

    Bharatiya Janata Party state President Chandrakant Patil said that Malik is rattled by the arrest of his son-in-law and has been slamming the NCB for the past two weeks.

    The war between the NCB-NCP erupted after the probe agency raided a rave party aboard a cruise ship and arrested 8 persons, including Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan – all now in judicial custody till October 30.

    Later, the NCB nabbed 12 others, and on Thursday, actress Ananya Panday was summoned for probe, which will continue further on Friday.

  • Drugs-on-cruise case: Aryan Khan’s custody extended till October 30, Ananya Panday grilled

    By Online Desk

    The Special NCB Sessions court in Mumbai on Thursday extended the judicial custody of Aryan Khan and seven others till October 30 in the drugs-on-cruise case.

    The accused were not produced in court either physically or through video conference. Aryan Khan was earlier sent to 14-day judicial custody on October 7.

    Meanwhile, actor Ananya Panday’s residence in Mumbai was raided by the NCB sleuths. Her laptop and mobile phone were seized in connection with the drugs-on-cruise case. Later, Panday went for her questioning to the NCB office with her actor father Chunky Panday.

    Earlier on the day, Shah Rukh Khan met Aryan at the Arthur Road jail where the latter has been lodged following arrest in the drugs-on-cruise case.

    The actor reached the prison located in Mumbai Central around 9 am and left at 9.35 am, the official said. He met his son for about 10 minutes, according to sources.

    A large number of mediapersons and local residents had gathered outside the prison when the actor arrived. Heavy police security was also deployed outside the jail premises.

    So far, family members of the prisoners were not being allowed to visit the jail in view of the Covid pandemic. The prison authorities started allowing the family members of prisoners to visit them from Thursday morning, the official said.

    Aryan Khan had moved the Bombay High Court on Wednesday evening after a special NDPS court here rejected his bail plea in the afternoon.

    The special court, while refusing bail, had observed that Aryan Khan was involved in “illicit drug activities on a regular basis” and had a nexus with drug peddlers and suppliers.

    The lower court had also rejected the bail pleas of Aryan Khan’s friend Arbaaz Merchant and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha.

    The three were arrested on October 3 by the NCB after it raided the Goa-bound ship and claimed to have seized drugs, including charas. They are now in judicial custody.

    While Aryan Khan and Merchant are lodged at the Arthur Road prison, Dhamecha is lodged at the Byculla women’s prison in the city.

    The trio and others were held in the case for alleged conspiracy, possession, consumption, purchase and trafficking of drugs under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

    So far, 20 people have been arrested in the case. 

  • Cruise ship drugs case: NCB raids Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan’s residence in Mumbai

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) conducted a raid at Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan’s residence Mannat in Mumbai on Thursday.

    This comes amid investigations in the cruise ship drugs case in which Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3.

    The special court of the NDPS rejected the bail application of Aryan Khan. However, he has approached the Bombay High Court for bail and the hearing is scheduled for October 26.

    The NCB also raided the residence of Ananya Pandey whose name allegedly surfaced in Aryan Khan’s WhatsApp chats. She is the daughter of actor Chunkey Pandey.

    Earlier in the day, Shahrukh Khan visited Arthur Road jail to meet his son Aryan Khan. 

  • Cruise drugs case: Shah Rukh Khan meets son in Mumbai jail

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday met his son Aryan Khan at the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai where the latter has been lodged following arrest in a case of seizure of drugs on board a cruise ship off the city coast, an official said.

    The actor reached the prison located in Mumbai Central around 9 am and left at 9. 35 am, the official said.

    He met his son for about 10 minutes, according to sources.

    A large number of mediapersons and local residents had gathered outside the prison when the actor arrived.

    Heavy police security was also deployed outside the jail premises.

    So far, family members of the prisoners were not being allowed to visit the jail in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The prison authorities started allowing the family members of prisoners to visit them from Thursday morning, the official said.

    Aryan Khan (23) was arrested with a few others on October 3 after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raided a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast and claimed to have seized drugs, including charas.

    A special court here on Wednesday denied bail to Aryan Khan, observing that ‘on the face of it’, he was indulging in “illicit drug activities on a regular basis”.

    His WhatsApp chats also showed, prima facie, that he was in touch with drug peddlers, the court noted.

    Aryan Khan has now moved the Bombay High Court to challenge the lower court’s order.

  • ‘He knew what was in friend’s shoe’: Why court denied bail to Aryan Khan in drugs case

    Express News Service

    The special NDPS court on Wednesday denied bail to Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan and the other two accused in the cruise ship drugs case saying Khan was aware that his friend Arbaaz Merchant was carrying drugs in his shoe. 

    However, after the denial by the special court, Khan immediately approached the Bombay High Court for bail. 

    The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) mainly relied on Khan’s WhatsApp chats, the raid seizure panchnama and two disclosure statements under section 67 of the NDPS Act.

    “Moreover, WhatsApp chats prima facie reveal Aryan Khan was dealing in illicit drug activities for narcotic substances on a regular basis. Therefore it cannot be said that Khan is not likely to commit a similar offence while on bail,” said the special court judge VV Patil while refusing to give bail to Khan, Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha.

    The court further observed that material placed on record reveals the nexus of the accused Khan with suppliers and peddlers. Khan knew contraband was concealed in Merchant’s shoe. The court said that though nothing has been found from Khan, six grams of charas was found with Merchant, his friend, and circumstances go to show Khan knew about the contraband hidden in the shoe.

    “Admittedly, accused Aryan Khan and Arbaz Merchant are friends for long. They travelled together and they were apprehended together at the international cruise terminal. Further, in their voluntary statements, both of them disclosed that they possessed the said substance for their consumption and for enjoyment. Thus, all these things go to show that Aryan Khan was having knowledge of contraband concealed by Merchant in his shoes.”

    ALSO READ: Drugs case: Aryan Khan speaks to parents via video call from jail; gets Rs 4,500 via money-order

    The court said that since Khan allegedly knew about the charas in Merchant’s shoe, it can be said that it was in conscious possession of both the accused. Therefore, Khan’s counsel’s submission of no contraband being recovered from him should be discarded.

    The court added that there was a mention of a bulk quantity of drugs in the WhatsApp chats and there was prima facie material showing that Khan was in contact with persons dealing in prohibited narcotic substances as alleged by the prosecution.

    The court said that evidence on record shows the accused are part of a larger network. Relying on the Bombay High Court order in the Showik Chakraborty case, it said that since the accused are part of the conspiracy, each of them is liable for the entire quantity of drugs seized and that the case of each accused cannot be segregated from each other and cannot be considered in isolation.

    Further during the interrogation, they disclosed the names of those who supplied contraband to them. Thus all these facts prima facie go to show that the accused acted in conspiracy with each other, said the court.

    The court noted the argument that since all the accused are influential persons, they are likely to tamper with the evidence if released on bail. Khan has exclusive details of other foreign nationals and drug dealers who were in contact with him and he has not yet disclosed the names of these persons. If he is released on bail, then the entire investigation will be hampered, it said.

    The NCB arrested them on October 3 following a raid at the international departure terminal of a Goa-bound cruise ship the previous day. They are booked under sections 8(c) read with 20b (purchase), 27 (consumption), 28 (attempt to commit offence), 29 (abetment/ conspiracy) and 35 (presumption of culpable mental state) of the NDPS Act after six and five grams of charas were allegedly seized from his friend Merchant and model Dhamecha respectively.

  • Aryan Khan moves Bombay HC for bail in cruise drugs case

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, approached the Bombay High Court on Wednesday, seeking bail in connection with the case of seizure of banned drugs aboard a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.

    Earlier in the day, Aryan Khan’s bail plea was rejected by a special NDPS court here. His advocates then immediately filed an appeal in the HC, challenging the lower court’s order.

    A special court here on Wednesday refused to grant bail to Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and two others in connection with the seizure of banned drugs on board a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast.

    Special Judge V V Patil, designated to hear cases related to the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, rejected the bail pleas of Aryan Khan, his friend Arbaaz Merchant and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha.

    ALSO READ : Aryan Khan speaks to parents via video call from jail; gets Rs 4,500 via money-order

    The appeal is likely to be mentioned by Aryan Khan’s lawyers on Thursday before a single bench of Justice N W Sambre.

    The bail pleas of Aryan Khan, his friend Arbaaz Merchant and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha were rejected by the special court on Wednesday afternoon.

    They were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3 and are presently in judicial custody.