A Mumbai court has decided to hear the bail plea filed by Aryan Khan, son of actor Shahrukh Khan and other accused including Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, tomorrow at 12.30 pm in connection with the cruise ship drug case.
Additional Metropolitan Magistrate- RM Nirlekar, initially was inclined towards hearing the bail plea today itself. However, this was opposed by ASG Anil Singh stating that the same is not maintainable and cannot be considered here. To this, the Advocate appearing on behalf of Aryan Khan- Satish Maneshinde argued that it is a mandate to decide the interim application today itself. Advocate Taraq Sayed who is appearing for Arbaaz Merchant also submitted that the bail application can be considered by this court as the punishment for the offences involved is only of six months. The Court then decided to consider the bail applications tomorrow. The accused till then would be kept in NCB’s custody because the jail authorities do not admit the accused in the absence of a covid report.
NCB on Thursday was seeking further custody of Aryan Khan, and other accused till 11th October but the Court earlier today rejected the same and remanded them to judicial custody instead. The court observed that while the NCB is entitled to custody in order to complete the investigation, but simply remanding them to NCB custody would be a violation of their fundamental rights.
The NCB has so far arrested sixteen people in the case and had allegedly recovered intermediate and commercial quantity contraband. They have arrested several individuals including 10 guests, four-event organisers, and two alleged suppliers, following an alleged drug bust by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) at the International Terminal of Mumbai Port Trust after screening guests boarding the Cordelia Cruise, on Monday.
