Aryan Khan was not part of any larger drugs conspiracy or an international drugs trafficking syndicate, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has found.
According to a report published in the Hindustan Times, a Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has confirmed that there were several irregularities in the raid on the yacht Cordelia, during which Aryan was arrested, as per the people familiar with the case who requested to remain anonymous.
Turns out that contrary to the allegations of NCB’s Mumbai unit, some of the key findings of the SIT officials shared with the publication stated, “Aryan Khan was never in possession of drugs hence there was no need to take his phone and check his chats. The chats do not suggest Khan was part of any international syndicate. The raid was not video-recorded as mandated by the NCB manual and the drugs recovered from multiple accused arrested in the case shown as single recovery.”
The SIT probe, albeit, is not complete and it could take a couple of months before the unit submits its final report to NCB Director General S N Pradhan. But a legal opinion will be taken before the final decision, “particularly on the aspect whether Khan can be charged for consumption even though Aryan was not carrying any drugs,” said one of the officers.
As per the outlet, the SIT probe “seems to raise more questions over the raid itself, and the conduct of the agency’s former Mumbai Zonal Unit director Sameer Wankhede.” The said inspector has been examined multiple times – both by the SIT and the agency’s vigilance team – to get to the truth in the case.
In November last year, a Mumbai court had stated there wasn’t sufficient evidence against Aryan. “There is hardly any positive evidence on record to convince this Court that all the accused persons with common intention agreed to commit unlawful act. Merely because Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, and Munmun Dhamecha were travelling on the same cruise, that by itself cannot be a foundation for the charge of conspiracy against them,” the court order read.
Last year, inspector Wakhande had led the team of officers with witnesses to raid the cruise ship Cordelia at the International Cruise Terminal Green Gate in Mumbai. On October 2, Aryan was detained by the NCB for an alleged drug bust before the youngster even boarded it. He was soon taken into custody and consequently arrested. The 23-year-old was then sent to a 14-day judicial remand.
