The Narcotics Control Bureau’s SIT (extraordinary examination group) presented a charge sheet in the cruise ship drugs bust case, giving a clean chit to six blamed including actor Shah Rukh Khan‘s son Aryan Khan. The clean chit was submitted against 14 denounced.
The NCB released his name on grounds of “absence of adequate proof.”
Aryan, his companion Arbaaz Merchant and cruise guest Munmun Dhamecha were arrested on October 3. They were conceded bail by the Bombay high court toward the month’s end. No drugs were found on Aryan.
Among the 20 denounced named in the FIR was actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan who is temporarily free from jail. Alleged drug vendors – Abdul Kadar and Nigerian national Chinedu Igwe – are the only two accused in jail.
Last November, the SIT assumed control over the test from the Mumbai unit of the NCB. It was headed by Sameer Wankhede. Wankhede’s family later became embroiled in a war of words with minister Nawab Malik and a case is on in the high court.
The stipulated time to submit a drug case charge sheet is 180 days and it ends on April 2.
Before the case was taken over by the SIT, several allegations were made against the investigation. One of the witnesses, Prabhakar Sail, in an affidavit alleged discussion of payoffs to be made to an NCB official, besides a meeting with Shah Rukh Khan’s manager where money allegedly changed hands.
Today was the last day for the NCB to submit its charge sheet. They had already been given an extension by the court.
