Aryan Khan to remain in jail, next is to appeal in High Court

Mumbai: A special Mumbai court has rejected the bail plea of Aryan Khan who was arrested on October 2 after a drug bust in a cruise ship off the coast. The court also rejected the bail applications of Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha. The plea of 12 others will be heard tomorrow.

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son is currently lodged in Arthur Road prison in Mumbai. Senior lawyer Amit Desai representing Aryan said that the NCB did not submit any material linking how granting bail to Khan will affect the investigation.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh argued that the court needs to take a "serious view" of drug abuse among youngsters. He said that the principle of innocent until proven guilty does not apply under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. He alleged that NCB has evidence that Aryan Khan is a regular consumer of banned substances for the last few years.

An NCB official told that Aryan Khan assured them that he will work for the poor upon his release. He was counseled by NCB's zonal director Sameer Wankhede and social workers.

Desai said that the Narcotics Control Bureau is dumping the "very serious and frightening" term of "illicit drug trafficking" on Khan. He added that the allegations are "inherently absurd". The NCB opposed the bail even though no drugs were found on him. Officials added that Aryan Khan cannot be looked at in isolation as the agency is probing an "international drugs connection".