(This story was first published on 2 March 2022 and has been reposted from The Quint's archives in light of Aryan Khan getting a clean chit in the drugs case for which he was arrested off a cruise in Mumbai, seven months after he was granted bail.)
A key finding by the Special Investigation Team of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has suggested that there is no evidence of Aryan Khan being involved in a drug conspiracy or an international drug trafficking syndicate, as per a report by Hindustan Times.
On 3 October last year, Aryan, his friends Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha and a few others were arrested by the NCB following a raid onboard a luxury cruise off the coast of Mumbai. Aryan was released from jail after 28 days.
Here's a look at the sequence of events:
2 October: NCB conducted a raid on the Cordelia cruise ship going from Mumbai to Goa. Eight people, including Aryan, Arbaaz and Munmun, were detained.
3 October: The agency registered case against all three and arrested them. They were produced before a magistrate's court, which sent them to NCB custody for one day.
4 October: The NCB claimed that it found evidence linking Aryan, Arbaaz and Munmun to an international drug cartel. It sought further custody of the trio and the magistrate's court sent them to further remand till 7 October.
7 October: The NCB sought an extension of remand of all three people, but the request was denied. The court sent Aryan and others to judicial custody. While Aryan and Arbaaz were sent to Arthur Road jail, Munmun was lodged in Mumbai's Byculla Ladies Jail.
8 October: Aryan's lawyer Satish Maneshinde applied for bail. A sessions court in Mumbai rejected their bail applications, saying it is non-maintanable in that particular court. The lawyers of all the three accused then moved the special NDPS court.
11 October: The NDPS court asked the NCB to file its reply on 13 October.
13 October: The hearing was adjourned to 14 October.
14 October: The court heard the arguments from both sides, where the lawyers of Aryan and other accused again sought bail, while the NCB opposed the petition. The verdict was reserved for 20 October.
20 October: After the special NDPS court rejected Aryan Khan's bail petition, the lawyers moved Bombay High Court.
26 October: The high court heard arguments for three days.
28 October: HC granted bail to Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha.
29 October: The bail formalities were completed. Shah Rukh Khan's friend Juhi Chawla stood as surety for Aryan before the special court.
30 October: Aryan released from jail.
November: After being mired in a slew of allegations of bribery and extortion, lead investigator in the Mumbai drugs case, Sameer Wankhede, was reportedly removed from his position. The case was then transferred to Delhi NCB's SIT. Responding to the allegations, Wankhede had told ANI, "I've not been removed from investigation. It was my writ petition in court that the matter be probed by a central agency (sic)."
March 2022: The SIT has found that there is no evidence that Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan was part of a drugs conspiracy or an international drugs trafficking syndicate, as per a report by Hindustan Times. The report adds that the SIT team has also found several irregularities in the raid on the luxury cruise, during which Aryan was arrested.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)