MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and two others including his friend Arbaaz Merchant and model Munmun Dhamecha who were among those arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a raid on a Mumbai cruise ship party on October 2 will have to remain in jail till October 20 as a special NDPS court deferred the bail order for next five days.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, representing the agency told the court that the agency had found that Khan not only had indulged in illicit drug trafficking, but he was also in touch with some persons based outside the country, who appear to be a part of an international drug network. 

Singh said there were several grounds for not granting bail to Khan and others and alleged that on-record statements and panchanama's showed that Aryan Khan has been consuming drugs for the last few years and drugs were found in possession of Arbaaz Merchant and both were about to consume the same on the cruise.

On the point of Khan's lawyers that no drugs were found on him, Singh referred to the case of Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty saying that in their case also, nothing was recovered from him but bail was denied as he was in touch with drug dealers and in this case too the accused were in touch with Achit and Shivraj who were the drug dealers. 

The agency's lawyer cited over 8 different judgments to argue his point and submitted that in this case also no bail can be granted.

Senior advocate Amit Desai appearing for Khan made several points starting with the fact that although his client was known to Merchant and they were friends, no drugs were found on his client nor was he in possession of any cash that was recovered by the NCB.

Countering the contention of the prosecution about WhatsApp chats found on his client's phone, Desai said that the WhatsApp chats are extrajudicial confessions, which are weak kinds of evidence. Lastly, he also made an emotive plea, "Let's not take away the liberty of a young boy. The court can impose conditions to make him available for investigation. It is a fit case for grant of bail."

After hearing arguments of both sides, special judge V V Patil posted the matter for orders on October 20 due to the Dussehra holidays and the weekend. This means Khan and the other accused who had applied for bail will have to spend the next five days in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail.

So far they were lodged at the quarantine barrack however they have been shifted to the common cell after their COVID-19 report came negative.  This means that all the accused will have the company of those who have been accused of a variety of crimes and are those who have been remanded to judicial custody. 

According to the NCB they have so far arrested a total of 20 people, including two Nigerian nationals, in the case related to the seizure of drugs on the Cordelia cruise ship off the Mumbai coast on October 2.