Aryan Khan Drug Case Updates: SRK's son, Arbaaz Merchantt and Munmun's bail pleas rejected

With the alleged drug case of Aryan Khan continues to develop with each day, Bollywood actor Johny Lever has extended support to his Badshah co-star Shah Rukh Khan. Taking to his Instagram on Friday, Johny Lever posted a throwback picture with a caption that symbolizes strength. 

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A day after they were sent to judicial custody, Aryan Khan, son of megastar Shah Rukh Khan, and seven co-accused in the rave party raids, were sent to the Arthur Road Central Jail, on Friday (October 8). The two women accused - Munmun Dhamecha and Nupur Sarika - were sent to the Byculla Women's Jail. Others including Arbaaz Merchantt, Vikrant Chhoker, Ismeet Singh, Mohak Jaswal, and Gomit Chopra were sent to the ARCJ, along with Aryan. Meanwhile, on Friday, the court rejected Aryan Khan's bail plea.

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No bail plea to be filed on Saturday and Sunday as court will remain closed. The bail petition will only be filed on Monday 

Mumbai's Esplanade court rejects bail plea of Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Khan and Munmun Dhamecha, in the case related to the seizure of drugs following a raid at a party on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast. The accused will be kept in quarantine cell for 3-5 days in Arthur Jail. READ FULL STORY HERE

Satish Maneshinde opposes Anil Singh's claims and states that the court in which we are arguing has the right of interim bail and it should exercise that right. He adds that the public prosecutor is continuously giving the basis for the judgment of Rhea Chakraborty but I would like to quote the Supreme Court Judgement 2010 by giving a copy that the Supreme Court has said that the special court can grant interim bail.

ASG Anil Singh- After getting bail, the accused can tamper with evidence and witnesses. The connections between these accused are very deep. NCB has arrested the organizer and drug supplier on the accused's statement. It is necessary to interrogate these accused by sitting face to face with the other people arrested. So the bail should not be granted.

ASG Anil Singh- There is no bar under the law in which the magistrate can consider bail. But when there is a bar under section 36A of the NDPS Act, it will go to the special court.

ASG Anil Singh - If there is no bar under the act, then the magistrate court can hear the matter but if a specific section is invoked, then the magistrate has no option but to send the matter to the special designated court. A bail plea cannot be entertained by this court. The plea is not maintainable.

He adds that the Defence should go to Concord Court for regular bail.

ASG Anil Singh-

Everyone has the right to claim bail now. He says that Satish Maneshinde has referred to the Bombay High Court judgment in the Sanjay Nahar case, which is what the NCB is saying; and his case was taken up in the special court. But this judgment does not fit in this case.

Aryan Khan and other accused will be kept in quarantine cell for 3-5 days in Arthur Jail, says Nitin Waychal, Superintendent of Arthur Jail

(ANI)

ASG Anil Singh says, "I oppose the application of bail of all the accused. The application, either regular bail or interim bail, both are not maintainable in this court. I oppose the right to claim Bail in this court."

Lawyer Kashif says that 5 grams of alleged banned material was found on the floor and at that time she (Munmun) was accompanied by two other people Somya and Baldev. Why are they not arrested? 

Taraq Sayed says Arbaaz Merchantt has filed an application for CCTV footage. And prosecution says it will prejudice to the ongoing investigation in reply. Sayed adds that the investigation is at a nascent stage and the relevance of CCTV will be important at trial and not now.

Advocate Taraq Sayed begins his bail arguments for Arbaaz Merchantt. "There is nothing to connect me with the co-accused, I've allegedly found with 6 gms of charas," he stated.

Aryan's lawyer Satish Maneshinde continues his submissions on his bail. He reads the judgment of Harsh Sawhney from the Supreme Court. "The two grounds which will entitle me for bail are fulfilled," Maneshinde concludes.

Aryan Khan and others arrested in alleged drug case have been kept in the quarantine cell of Arthur Road Jail. Keeping with the Covid19 norms, only one barrack has been converted into a quarantine center. A barrack has a capacity of 50 people.

Meanwhile, Aryan has tested negative for the covid19.

(Inputs from Dinesh Mourya)

NCB produces Nigerian national Chinedu Igwe arrested in the cruise drug case in Killa Court

Hearing of Aryan, Arbaaz and Munmun's bail adjourned till 2.45 pm

Satish Maneshinde concludes his arguments. In Aryan's defense, his lawyer said, "I am just 23. I went to the International Cruise Terminal only because Prateek Gaba called me. I was searched there. They didn't get anything but my mobile was taken. The data was extracted from it and sent for forensics. I was questioned only on the first day. Nothing has happened in the last 5 days. I have nothing to do with other accused."

Opposing the bail NCB says that there may be a need for interrogation, hence the accused should not be granted bail.

Supreme Court says that confrontation and interrogation can be done even if someone is on bail.

A photo of Aryan Khan being taken to Arthur Road Jail by the team of NCB.

Aryan Khan being taken to Arthur Road Jail

In his argument, Satish Maneshinde cites a judgement of Bombay HC on how people who are caught with small and intermediate quantities are dealt with. Talking about the chat recovered by the NCB, Maneshinde adds that nothing has been found in it and there is no evidence that the accused consumed drugs. 

"There is not a single material to disclose the conspiracy in the case," he says adding, "I am not claiming bail as a matter or right. I did not argue for bail on the first day because I felt that since NCB has not recovered any material from me they will remain lenient. I thought they will let my custody go after first day. But they did not do so."

After their medical tests, Aryan Khan and other accused have been taken to Arthur Road Jail by the NCB team. 

Aryan Khan and other accused undergo a medical test. 

Aryan Khan leaves with NCB team

ASG and senior advocate Satish Maneshinde argue over NCB's application over maintainability of bail hearing. In his defense, Aryan Khan's lawyer Satish Maneshinde says in a drugs case related to Rhea Chakraborty, Kaizan Ibrahim was granted bail by the court and NCB did not challenge it. 

Aryan Khan leaves with the NCB team. Meanwhile, in the court, the lawyers of the three accused were also given a say. The lawyers and courts of the accused are currently reading it.

NCB files its reply to court. After the hearing on Thursday, the court had sent Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchantt and 6 others to judicial custody for 14 days and the NCB was asked to file its reply. 

The defense says that they have to see the CCTV footage of the case, to confirm NCB's claim of procuring 'charas' from Arbaaz's shoes. As per NCB, Arbaaz admitted in the statement given to them that he had brought this 'charas' for Aryan and himself. The lawyers want to confirm the same.

Court to begin the hearing of Aryan Khan's bail plea soon. Court proceedings will take place in Killa Court, Mumbai. 

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As per the latest update, Aryan Khan's interim bail will be heard in the Kila court after 12:30pm today

NCB conducted RT-PCR test of all 8 accused including Aryan Khan on Thursday night. They are expected to leave for Arthur Road Jail in a short while.

(inputs by Atul Singh)

Lawyer Satish Maneshinde argued on behalf of Aryan Khan in the court. Here's what he said before the court:

• Aryan Khan's lawyer said the 23-year-old was called to the alleged drugs party only 'to add glamour to the cruise' and he didn't take any ticket.
• Prateek, a friend of Aryan told the latter over the phone that he has been invited as a VVIP on a cruise event, claimed Manshinde. 
• 'There were more than 1300 people on the ship but only 8 people were arrested?' he asked.
• Informing the court that Aryan was not interrogated for two nights, he questioned the demand to increase his custody further. 
• He also said that Aryan cannot be held hostage until the main culprits are found.

(inputs from Jaypee Singh)

Lawyer Satish Maneshinde snapped at Mannat on Thursday night.

Aryan Khan's bail petition is expected to be heard in the court between 11 am to 1 am. Aryan will not be produced before the court during the hearing in the Killa court due to judicial custody. He will have to undergo medical tests before the court hearing. If his bail is denied during this time, he is expected to be taken to Arthur Road jail. Thursday, due to the delay in the hearing, the court had ordered to keep Aryan in the office cell of NCB.

(inputs by Atul Singh)

The fate of Aryan Khan, son of film actor Shahrukh Khan and other 7 arrested in a drug case, will be decided today in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Mumbai where it will be decided whether these 8 people will be behind the bars tonight or they will can go home. After 11 o'clock today, Aryan and the defence lawyer will again argue on bail before the special NDPS bench of Killa Court while NCB's lawyer Anil Singh will oppose the bail. If the court does not grant bail, then Aryan Khan and others may have to go to either Arthur Road Jail or Taloja Jail for the next 14 days. If the COVID report of the accused comes positive, then they will have to stay in isolation.

During the last hearing, the Mumbai court stated that the case will now be heard by special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court. As per the NCB, eight persons have been booked under Section 8C, 20B, 27 (Punishment for consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance), 35 (Presumption of culpable mental state) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act), 28 and 29. 8C of NDPS Act refers to prohibition to produce, manufacture, possess, sell, purchase, transport, warehouse, use, consume, import inter-State, export inter-State, import into India, export from India or tranship any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance while Section 20B deals with punishment for producing, manufacturing, possessing, selling, purchasing, transportation, imports inter-State, exports inter-State or use of cannabis. 

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The Narcotics Control Bueare has booked two commercial cases. One involving a foreign national having a commercial quantity of MDMA and one Indian National possessing a commercial quantity of mephedrone & intermediate quantity of MD mephedrone, informed Sameer Wankedhe, Director, NCB Mumbai.

Aryan Khan's lawyer Satish Maneshinde has filed two bail applications in the court. One interim bail so that the 23-year-old gets immediate bail and the other regular bail i.e. allowing Aryan to be on bail till the time this case is investigated. However under the NDPS Act, NCB has already opposed the regular bail.

• Based on a tip-off that a party was scheduled on the ship, an NCB team, led by its zonal director Sameer Wankhede, raided the Goa-bound Cordelia cruise ship on Saturday evening and recovered drugs from some of the passengers. As per the arrest memo of the NCB, 13 grams of cocaine, five gram of MD, 21 grams of charas and 22 pills of Ecstasy and Rs 1.33 lakh was seized after the raid.
• The NCB claimed before a city court that "shocking and incriminating" material recovered in WhatsApp chats of Aryan Khan and two others arrested in connection with the case showed international drug trafficking. Later, the court on Oct 4 had remanded the 23-year-old and seven others to the NCB custody till Oct 7.
• The Narcotics Control Bureau also claimed that in the WhatsApp chats he is discussing modes of payment to be done for procurement (of drugs) and that several code names are being used. However, Aryan Khan's lawyer had earlier claimed that no drugs were recovered from his client's possession.

After being remanded in 14-day judicial custody on Thursday, Aryan Khan and the other accused sought bail from the court. Their pleas will be heard today (October 8).

Besides Aryan Khan, those arrested by the NCB include Arbaaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha, Nupur Satija, Ishmeet Chadha, Mohak Jaiswal, Gomit Chopra, Vikrant Chhokar and a drug supplier from suburban Juhu.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) made a strong plea for an extension of custody of Aryan Khan (23) and the other accused, saying they need to be confronted with another man arrested in the case to unearth the "chain of conspiracy". The accused were produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate R M Nerlikar at the end of their earlier remand.

The drug law enforcement agency sought extension of their custody till October 11. The NCB told the court they have arrested one Acchit Kumar based on statements given by Aryan Khan and Merchant. The custody of Khan and others was required to confront them with Kumar for unearthing the "chain of conspiracy", it said

Custody cannot be granted on vague grounds, noted a magistrate court on Thursday while rejecting the NCB's plea seeking further remand of Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and seven others arrested in a case pertaining to alleged seizure of banned drugs aboard a cruise ship in Mumbai. The court then sent the accused to jail under 14-day judicial custody and they soon filed bail applications which will be heard on Friday.

Read full report here