Drugs case: Aryan Khan, 2 others sent to NCB custody till October 7

A Mumbai court on Monday denied the petition of Aryan Khan and two others opposing extension of Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB) custody and sent them in remand till October 7. The 23-year-old, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, was arrested by the NCB after a raid at a rave party on a cruise ship off the coast of Mumbai.

The court accepted NCB's plea that Khan and his friends' further custody is needed after the seizure of drugs from the rave party. The NCB had presented WhatsApp chats, where discussions were held about cash transactions involving drugs.

Those sent to extended custody today are Khan, his friend Arbaaz Merchant and fashion designer Munmun Dhamecha. They were arrested on Sunday after a lengthy questioning by the NCB.

Khan and his friends were produced before a local court in Mumbai on Monday afternoon after having spent one day in NCB custody. They were earlier sent for a medical checkup at Mumbai's JJ Hospital.

During the court hearing on Monday, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh (representing the NCB) said that WhatsApp chats found in Aryan's phone, which was seized by the NCB, “clearly shows the nexus”. “It is necessary to confront all accused in the custodial remand,” Singh pointed out, adding that the chats have code words that need to be decoded.

He also said that code words were used for peddlers which need to be decoded.

Aryan's lawyer Satish Maneshinde opposed the NCB's plea arguing that the NCB “cannot simply rely on WhatsApp chats” for the case and seek extension of the custody.

“I was arrested by the NCB before and not on the cruise…I was invited as a guest…I don't have any contacts with the organisers, dealers or any other people on the cruise. Nothing has been found in my bag during search,” Aryan informed the court via Maneshinde.

“They've interrogated me for the last 48 hours and have found nothing. I [have]…no criminal antecedents. I have cooperated with them (NCB) so any prayer for further custody should be rejected,” Aryan's statement to the court added.

Before producing Khan and others in the court, NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede said that the agency raided the Goa-bound cruise ship after disguising themselves as passengers, and busted the rave party where several drugs were being used. Officials of the agency learnt about the rave party after being tipped off about the same, and this was the first time they raided such a party on a cruise ship.

A company based in Delhi is believed to have organised the party. It was slated to reach Goa on Saturday night, and return to Mumbai by Monday.

Maneshinde, told the magistrate court on Sunday that his client was invited to the cruise party. He further stated that Aryan didn’t have a “boarding pass…any seat or cabins.” “Secondly, according to the seizure, nothing has been found in his possession. He is arrested only based on chats,” Maneshinde said.

Meanwhile, NCB chief SN Pradhan told news agency PTI on Sunday that the agency is probing the matter from “all angles” and that there is a “Bollywood connection.” “We are looking at the main supplier and the entire cartel behind this drugs case,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.

Pradhan said that the investigation of the matter will be carried out professionally despite it being high-profile.