NCB gives clean chit to Aryan Khan in drugs case

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Friday gave a clean chit to Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, in last year’s ‘drugs on cruise’ case in which he was arrested and spent 22 days in jail.

NCB officials said Aryan Khan and five others were not named in the agency’s chargesheet due to “lack of sufficient evidence”. The NCB SIT found “grave irregularities” and gaps in the probe, the officials said, adding the agency’s first team that arrested Aryan did not follow rules like mandatory medical test of accused, video recording of the raids and corroborate evidence for WhatsApp chats.

NCB director general SN Pradhan told reporters in Delhi that there were “shortcomings” in the investigation and WhatsApp chat of accused had no “physical corroborative evidence” as required to prove the charges in the court. The NCB on Friday filed a nearly 6,000-page charge sheet before a Mumbai court against 14 accused in the case, but did not charge six, including Aryan Khan, due to lack of sufficient evidence.

“Based on the investigation carried out by the SIT, a complaint against 14 persons under various sections of the NDPS Act is being filed

(before a Mumbai court). Complaint against rest 6 persons is not being filed due to lack of sufficient evidence,” the NCB said.

Aryan Khan’s lawyer Mukul Rohatgi said truth has prevailed. “I am relieved, and so must my clients be, including Shah Rukh Khan. The truth has prevailed. Ultimately, there was no material to charge this young man (Aryan Khan) or arrest him,” he said. He was released on October 30 from Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail, 26 days after he was arrested in connection with the drugs case, after being granted bail. He was granted bail on October 28 by the Bombay High Court which dismissed NCB’s arguments and said it cannot just rely on WhatsApp messages to make such grave allegations.