The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Cordelia Cruise Drugs Case in which Actor Shah Rukh Khan's son – Aryan- is also an accused, has sought an additional 90-days from the Special Court to file a chargesheet in the case. Under the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the Narcotics Control Bureau's SIT has 180 days to complete their probe if the accused are...
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Cordelia Cruise Drugs Case in which Actor Shah Rukh Khan's son – Aryan- is also an accused, has sought an additional 90-days from the Special Court to file a chargesheet in the case.
Under the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the Narcotics Control Bureau's SIT has 180 days to complete their probe if the accused are in custody. However, under section 36A (4) of the Act the Special Court may extend the accused's detention up to one year on the Special Public Prosecutor's report indicating the progress of the investigation and the specific reasons for the detention beyond 180 days.
In the present case, of the 20 accused, two alleged peddlers are still in custody and the NCB's time to complete the probe ends on April 2, 2022. Accordingly, such an application was filed by Special Public Prosecutor Advait Sethna. The matter will he heard today at 2.45 pm.
On October 3, 2021, the NCB arrested Aryan Khan along with several others following an alleged drug bust where the Cordelia Cruise Ship was docked. While nothing was recovered from Khan, his friend Arbaaz Merchant was allegedly found in possession of 6 gms of charas. Another 5gms of hashish was reportedly retrieved from one Munmun Dhamecha.
They were booked under Sections 8(c), 20(b), 27, 28, 29 and 35 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Subsequently, other guests on the ship as well as alleged drug peddlers were arrested in the case.
The Bombay High Court said in its order granting bail to Khan and the other two on October 28, 2021, that prima facie there was no evidence on record to infer that Aryan Khan and his friend Arbaaz Merchant conspired to commit offences under the NDPS Act.
It may be noted that earlier, Prabhakar Sail, a panch witness in the case, had made startling allegations about extortion and pay-offs involving KP Gosavi (a private person at the NCB raid whose picture with Aryan Khan went viral even before he was formally arrested), the investigating officer and then NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede and others, in a notarized affidavit.
As a result of these allegations the case is now being investigated by a Special Investigation Team of the NCB in Delhi.