2 co-accused in Aryan Khan case released from prison

The HC had in its detailed order asked Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha to appear before the NCB’s Mumbai office every Friday between 11am and 2pm to mark their presence.

Arbaaz Merchant and fashion designer Munmun Dhamecha, the two other accused arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau with Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan in the cruise drug bust case, were released from Arthur Road jail and Byculla Women’s Prison respectively on Sunday.

Inspector general of police Ankush Shinde said, “As soon as the paperwork was completed Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were released.” (HT Photo)

While the three had been granted bail by the Bombay high court on Thursday, Aryan Khan was released on Saturday while Dhamecha and Merchant had to wait till Sunday to ensure that all formalities were completed. The court imposed 14 conditions for grant of bail. Dhamecha’s lawyers will be making an application before the NCB seeking permission for her to travel to Madhya Pradesh, her hometown.

Inspector general of police Ankush Shinde said, “As soon as the paperwork was completed Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were released.”

Dhamecha’s lawyer Kaashif Khan said, “After the formalities of surety and legal paperwork were completed in the sessions court on Saturday, we got the release memo around 7:30pm and it was dropped in the letter box at Byculla women’s prison on the same day. She was released around 11am on Sunday.”“I am filing an application before the NCB seeking permission to allow her to travel to Delhi and Madhya Pradesh as per the conditions set by the Bombay high court. Her permanent hometown is in Madhya Pradesh while she lives in Delhi”.

Her passport was already seized by NCB while they conducted a search in the Delhi house, added Khan.

Superintendent Nitin Vychal of the Arthur Road jail said, “Arbaaz Merchant was released around 11:30am on Sunday from the jail after the paperwork was completed”.

The HC had in its detailed order asked Aryan Khan, Merchant and Dhamecha to appear before the NCB’s Mumbai office every Friday between 11am and 2pm to mark their presence.

Khan said, “Now Dhamecha is staying in Mumbai and her brother’s friends are helping her as she has to report every Friday in the NCB office. But soon we will be filing an application for modification and relaxation of conditions in the HC order because she does not have a house here in Mumbai”.