Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 2, 2021, in a raid on a cruise ship where a party was taking place. The NCB claimed to have recovered banned drugs, including cocaine, charas, and MDMA pills, and ₹133,000 in cash. Aryan was detained along with 17 others, including Munmun Dhamecha and Arbaaz Merchant. The NCB alleged that they had recovered WhatsApp chats that indicated international drug trafficking. However, Aryan's lawyer argued that he was not found with any drugs and had not consumed any.
The case has sparked controversy, with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alleging that it is a conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to defame the Maharashtra government and the film industry. The NCP pointed out that two private individuals, K.P. Gosavi and Manish Bhanushali, were present during the raid and were seen escorting Aryan and Arbaaz. Gosavi has a criminal record, and Bhanushali is a BJP worker who has been accused of being involved in the raid.
The NCP has also alleged that the NCB is misusing its powers to target opposition leaders and that the BJP is using central agencies to settle scores with its opponents. The party has pointed out that several media houses that have criticized the government have been raided by the Income Tax department.
The case has raised questions about the use of central agencies for political purposes and the need to address the root causes of the drug problem rather than just targeting consumers. Some have suggested that decriminalizing drugs and treating addicts as patients rather than criminals could be a more effective solution.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, was detained by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 2.
2. The NCB raided a cruise ship, the Empress Ship, where a party was being held, and recovered 13 grams of cocaine, 21 grams of charas, and 22 MDMA pills.
3. ₹133,000 in cash was also recovered during the raid.
4. Aryan Khan, along with others, was arrested and presented before a special court.
5. The NCB's lawyer argued that Aryan Khan and others should be kept in custody for 2 days to help the investigation.
6. Aryan Khan's defense lawyer argued that he was not found with any drugs and should not be arrested.
7. The court decided to keep Aryan Khan in NCB's custody for 1 day, till October 4.
8. Five more people were arrested by the NCB on the same evening, bringing the total number of accused to 8.
9. On October 7, the court ordered that the NCB would no longer have custody of Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, and Munmun Dhamecha.
10. On October 8, Aryan Khan's bail application was rejected due to a technical reason.
11. A private individual, K.P. Gosavi, was seen in a viral video taking a selfie with Aryan Khan during the raid.
12. Gosavi is a detective living in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur and has a history of cheating.
13. Manish Bhanushali, a BJP worker, was also seen in the video and claimed to have informed the NCB about the party.
14. The NCB claimed that they did not know Gosavi and Bhanushali before the incident.
15. Nawab Malik, an NCP politician, alleged that the NCB had initially arrested 3 more people, including Rishabh Sachdev, the brother-in-law of BJP leader Mohit Kamboj, who was later released.
16. Malik also claimed that the NCB had received calls from BJP leaders from Delhi and Maharashtra to release Sachdev.
17. The NCB arrested a supplier in Juhu and recovered a large quantity of drugs.
18. The supplier was not named in the reports.
19. 17 people were arrested in the case by October 7.
20. The NCB's investigation is ongoing, and the case has sparked controversy and allegations of political motivations.