Narcotics Control Bureau

The arguments in the bail pleas of Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha were completed last week and Special NDPS Judge V.V. Patil had deferred the verdict till Wednesday, but the hearing of the remaining accused is pending. Meanwhile, the NCB has reportedly found the mention of a heroine in one of the WhatsApp chats of Aryan.

During the past couple of days, the Narcotics Control Bureau's legal battery alleged Aryan Khan, the son of Shah Rukh Khan, was involved in "illicit drug trafficking" with international ramifications and painted the superstar-son as a "junkie" regularly hooked to drugs.

Judge A. A. Joglekar had observed that no commercial quantity of drugs was found from the accused, he had no criminal records, or had connived with the other co-accused. Addressing the media Thursday, Malik charged the NCB with framing his son-in-law, filing fake cases, spreading falsehoods through selective media leaks, etc.

Thus, Aryan Khan - the son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan - and other co-accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha will remain in judicial custody at the Arthur Road Central Jail and the Byculla Women's Jail for the next five days on account of public holidays over the next few days.

The NCB's statement came during a hearing of the bail applications of Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha, Mohak Jaswal, Nupur Satija, Aachit Kumar, Shreyas Nair and Avin Sahu before Special NDPS Judge V.V. Patil. Since the arguments remained incomplete, the matter will continue on Thursday afternoon, and Aryan Khan and the 7 others arrested remain in custody since October 2.

Officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had recently seized a huge haul of 2,998 kg of heroin, estimated to be valued at about Rs 21,000 crore, from the Mundra port in Gujarat. The heroin was found concealed in the import consignment of 'Semi-processed talc stones' originating from Afghanistan, which had arrived from the Bandar Abbas Port, Iran.

"No such orders have been issued, I don't think any agency is keeping a watch on them," said Walse-Patil. The home minister's reaction came a day after Wankhede lodged a police complaint alleging that he and his team members were being 'illegally stalked' by some plainclothes policemen.

Wankhede said on Monday that he has lodged complaint with Oshiwara Police in this regard, however he did not provide details.He has claimed that since the past couple of days he and his men are allegedly under unauthorised 'surveillance' by some persons in plain clothes. However, Mumbai Police did not release any information in the development.

At the hearing today, Khan's lawyer Amit Desai sought the bail plea to be heard on Tuesday (October 12), but the NCB's Special Public Prosecutor A.M. Chimalker asked for Thursday (October 14), after which the Special Court posted the matter for Wednesday.

Responding to the contentions raised by Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson and Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik, NCB Deputy Director-General Gyaneshwar Singh said all the 14 were served notice under Section 67 of NDPS Act, examined thoroughly and their statements also recorded.