Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan‘s bail application in connection with the drug case was adjourned by the sessions court in Mumbai for Thursday noon.

The 23-year-old was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3 following a raid at a cruise ship going from Mumbai to Goa. 

According to the NCB, banned drugs were recovered from some of those onboard the ship, however, none were found on Aryan Khan, as per media reports quoting NCB sources. 

The NCB opposed Aryan Khan’s bail plea claiming that releasing him could interfere with the bureau’s investigation. 

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Senior counsel Amit Desai, appearing for Aryan Khan, termed the NCB’s contention as “inherently absurd” and argued that when no drugs were recovered from him, he should not be penalised at the stage of granting bail. He added that the accused in the present case are young adults and not drug peddlers, traffickers or racketeers.

“In many countries, these substances (drugs) are legal. Let us not penalise them at this stage when bail is sought. Let us not make it worse for them (accused). They have suffered enough and they have learnt their lesson, if at all,” he said.

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During an earlier hearing at a magistrate’s court in Mumbai on October 8, Aryan Khan’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde said that “no incriminating contraband drugs or other material were recovered from him (Aryan Khan)” and that the record does not suggest that he is in any way connected with “the production, manufacture, possession, sale, purchase, transport, import, export or use of any psychotropic substance.”

The Narcotics Control Bureau has so far arrested at least 20 people, including two Nigerian nationals, in the cruise drug bust.

Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General of India, representing the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the case, told the Special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court on Wednesday that they had sought the ministry of external affairs’ help to trace the foreign drug peddler whose name found in Aryan Khan’s WhatsApp chat.

“Hard drugs, bulk. Can’t be for personal consumption. We have approached the MEA to find how we can find this foreign national,” Additional Solicitor General told the court.