No more Friday visits, Aryan Khan gets big relief in drugs case

In a major relief for Aryan Khan, accused in the drugs-on-cruise-ship case, the son of megastar Shah Rukh Khan will not have to appear at the Mumbai office of the Narcotics Control Bureau every Friday after the Bombay High Court scrapped the bail condition. The court said he has to present himself in Delhi, whenever the Special Investigation Team summoned him. The 23-year-old had filed an application in the High Court, seeking that this bail condition — one of 14 — be amended. In his plea, he said during his visit every Friday, he is hounded by the media and has to be accompanied by police personnel. Since the investigation in the case has moved to a Special Investigation Team in Delhi, visits to Mumbai office could be relaxed, he had argued.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) did not oppose the plea but submitted that the relaxation should be allowed subject to the condition that Khan should appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case in Delhi as and when he is summoned. Aryan Khan was arrested by the anti-drugs agency on October 3 following a raid on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast. The agency had accused him of possession, consumption, sale and purchase of banned drugs. He was also accused of conspiracy and abetment. On October 28 -- three weeks after the arrest -- he was granted bail by the Bombay High Court, which found multiple holes in the agency's case against him. The court said there was no evidence of conspiracy between him, his friend Arbaaz Merchant, and model Munmun Dhamecha to commit drug-related offences.