Drugs case: Mumbai court allows release of Aryan Khan’s passport, cancels bail bond

Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai, July 13, 2022: Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, who has got a clean chit from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drugs case, will now be able to travel abroad as a Mumbai court gave permission to release his passport. The court has also allowed for the bail bond to be cancelled.

 

On Wednesday, a special court under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act in Mumbai directed the court registry to hand over Khan’s passport to him “permanently”.

Aryan Khan had submitted his passport before the court as part of his bail conditions. He was arrested in October last year in a drugs case. The NCB let off Aryan Khan and five others due to "lack of sufficient evidence".

“Admittedly, no complaint was filed against six persons including present applicant as no evidence surfaced during the investigation. In view of the no objection given by the NCB SIT, prayer for cancellation of bail bonds needs to be allowed and passport needs to be released,” special court judge VV Patil said.

"The bail bonds of the applicant hereby stands cancelled and his surety stands discharged,” the court said.

Earlier in the day, NCB stated that it has no objection to the cancellation of the bail bond and return of the passport but raised an issue about “discharge” written in the order.

On June 30, Aryan Khan had moved an application before the special court hearing cases related to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act through his lawyers Amit Desai and Rahul Agarwal of Desai Desai Carrimjee and Mulla, a law firm, seeking the return of his passport, citing the charge sheet that did not name him.

Aryan Khan and 19 others were arrested by the NCB after a drug racket was busted by the central agency on a cruise in October 2021. However, after much outcry, the investigating agency set up an SIT which ultimately filed a chargesheet in the case. The SIT did not file a chargesheet against Aryan Khan and a few others who were not found in possession of the drugs.

Courtesy: India Today