New Delhi, India – The arrest of Bollywood celebrity Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan in a drug case following a raid on a luxurious cruise ship earlier this month has been making headlines in India for almost two weeks now.
Aryan, 23, and 7 others have been detained on October 2 when officers from India’s Narcotics Management Bureau (NCB) – tasked with combatting drug trafficking and the usage of unlawful substances – raided the occasion and reportedly seized medicine on the cruise ship off the Mumbai coast. The eight accused have been formally arrested a day later.
Since then, a complete of 20 individuals have been arrested within the case after the NCB claimed to have made a seizure of 13 grams of cocaine, 5 grams of MD (mephedrone), 21 grams of charas, 22 tablets of MDMA (ecstasy), and 133,000 Indian rupees ($1,766) in money from the cruise ship sure for Goa.
Aryan was current on the ship however his attorneys stated no medicine have been recovered from him.
On Thursday, a particular Mumbai courtroom reserved its order on his bail plea till October 20 and despatched him to a standard cell of Mumbai’s Arthur Street Jail.
The case has triggered allegations that the right-wing Indian authorities was “harassing” the son of the nation’s largest Muslim actor solely due to their faith.
#AryanKhan #AryanKhanBail
Pure harassment!— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) October 14, 2021
What are the fees towards Aryan Khan?
The NCB has charged Aryan with offences below numerous sections of the Narcotic Medication and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), a legislation associated to the possession, consumption and buy of medicine.
Showing for the NCB, Further Solicitor Normal (ASG) Anil Singh on Thursday claimed there was proof to indicate that Aryan was an everyday shopper of medicine for the previous few years.
As of late in India you’re arrested and jailed for who you’re. Not for what you might have achieved.
On Wednesday the NCB, in its assertion filed earlier than the courtroom, alleged that Aryan’s WhatsApp chats revealed he was in contact with some individuals who seem like a “a part of a global drug community for illicit procurement of medicine”.
“WhatsApp chats reveal the accused was in contact with a international nationwide for a bulk amount of arduous medicine,” the assertion stated, including that the probe up to now has revealed Aryan’s function within the conspiracy.
The company opposed his bail plea, saying it could have an effect on their investigation as he might “tamper with proof and affect witnesses”.
I’ve stated little on the #AryanKhan matter, in case NCB had proof not leaked up to now. Bail hearings clarify that his blood exams have been clear, solely allegation’s based mostly on straws like membership of a whatsapp group. Both NCB made a mistake,is overlaying up, or this can be a vendetta.
— Karuna Nundy (@karunanundy) October 13, 2021
Aryan’s attorneys reject the fees and time period the NCB allegations as “absurd” and “false”.
Satish Maneshinde final week informed the courtroom that the narcotics company didn’t discover any medicine on him and allegations that he was in touch with drug sellers have been unfaithful.
Amit Desai, one other counsel for Aryan, on Wednesday stated there was a “very scary and critical time period” which they’re dumping on Khan of “illicit drug trafficking”.
“There may be nothing even remotely suggesting that this boy is concerned in illicit drug trafficking,” he stated, in keeping with Indian media stories.
Desai later informed the courtroom that it wants to keep in mind that “by no stretch of the creativeness is that this boy concerned in worldwide drug trafficking”.
NCB faces warmth over arrest
The NCB has confronted warmth from a number of quarters on Aryan’s arrest, together with the ruling coalition made up of the Nationalist Congress Celebration (NCP), the Shiv Sena and the Congress in Maharashtra state, the place Mumbai is situated.
Aryan Khan
Narcotics Management Bureau investigationNew Jurisprudence:
No proof of :
consumption
possessionResponsible until confirmed harmless
Consideration efficiently diverted from Ashish ?????? ( Lakhimpur Kheri )
— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) October 15, 2021
Senior NCP chief and minister Nawab Malik final week alleged that the company’s raid on the cruise ship was “pretend” and no narcotics have been discovered in the course of the motion.
Malik additionally questioned the presence of two individuals who participated within the raid regardless of not being the members of the NCB. The politician alleged that certainly one of them was a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP).
On Wednesday, Malik alleged the “NCB has malafide intentions and is concerned in solely selective leaks to border individuals”.
The NCB’s zonal director, Sameer Wankhede, who’s heading the probe into the case, denied the allegations, saying the company works impartially.
“We’re an neutral and a really competent company. We don’t consider no matter they’re saying. We’re one hundred pc dedicated to combating the crime and we are going to struggle it,” he informed Al Jazeera.
Wankhede claimed there are individuals “who’re making an attempt to place obstacles in our approach” however that won’t cease them from “doing their responsibility”.
‘King of Bollywood’
Aryan Khan’s father, 55-year-old Shah Rukh Khan, is among the world’s most well-known actors and is popularly known as the “King of Bollywood” or “King Khan”.
In his profession spanning greater than 30 years, Shah Rukh has starred in almost 105 movies, a few of them mega blockbusters and international successes.
The actor, who has a steady marriage together with his childhood sweetheart, a Hindu named Gauri Khan, enjoys a big fan following throughout South Asia, and has greater than 42 million followers on Twitter, an equal quantity on Fb, and almost 27 million on Instagram.
He additionally owns the Kolkata Knight Riders group, which performs for the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world’s richest cricket competitors.
The pettiness and vendetta can not take away from the truth that @iamsrk is the largest celebrity of our instances and can stay so. There won’t be one other Shahrukh Khan within the historical past of Indian cinema.
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) October 11, 2021
Regardless of his Muslim identification, Shah Rukh has largely loved a non-controversial movie profession. Lately, nevertheless, he has confronted the ire of the right-wing BJP.
In 2015, shortly after Modi got here to energy, the actor was dubbed “anti-national” by the BJP after he spoke towards rising non secular intolerance within the nation.
Yogi Adityanath, the saffron-robed chief minister of India’s most populous Uttar Pradesh state, as soon as in contrast Shah Rukh with Pakistan’s Hafiz Saeed, thought of to be the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai assaults and a United Nations-designated terrorist.
Specialists say the medicine case involving his son has as soon as once more shone the highlight on the vulnerability of a Muslim actor in India.
However the high-profile case has additionally divided social media in India, with followers of the actor demanding Aryan’s launch quickly whereas others are demanding a boycott of his father’s upcoming movies.
Since his arrest, hashtags equivalent to #ReleaseAryanKhan, #WeStandWithSRK, #BailForAryanKhan and #WeLoveYouSRK have been trending on Indian social media in help of Shah Rukh Khan and his son.
These opposing the bail have used the hashtags #NoBailOnlyJail and #SendAryanKhanToJail. Some have even began a marketing campaign asking individuals to boycott the manufacturers endorsed by Shah Rukh, utilizing hashtags equivalent to #Boycott_SRK_Related_Brands and #BoycottShahRukhKhan.
A number one education-tech firm, Byju’s, stopped all its ads that includes the actor.
Lately, Bollywood has been dogged by allegations of widespread drug abuse and several other actors have been linked to medicine instances.
Final yr, the trade was on the centre of a serious controversy over the loss of life of younger actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who allegedly died by suicide following a historical past of narcotics abuse.
‘Jailed for who you’re’
Whereas a number of Bollywood actors have come out in help of Shah Rukh and his son, the silence of a few of its largest stars has additionally been slammed by his followers and social media customers.
Veteran actor and politician Shatrugan Sinha stated Aryan was being “focused” due to his father, although he dominated out any non secular angle to the arrest.
“Shah Rukh is unquestionably the explanation why the boy is being focused. There are different names like Munmun Dhamecha and Arbaaz Service provider, however no person is speaking about them,” Sinha informed an Indian web site, including that some individuals wish to “settle private scores” with the celebrity.
Mehbooba Mufti, the previous chief minister of Indian-administered Kashmir, alleged that India’s federal companies are “after the 23-year-old just because his surname occurs to be Khan”.
“Travesty of justice that Muslims are focused to satiate the sadistic needs of BJPs core vote financial institution,” she wrote on Twitter.
Activist and Booker prize-winning writer Arundhati Roy additionally hinted on the non secular identification of an individual deciding what course the legislation would absorb up to date India.
“As of late in India you’re arrested and jailed for who you’re. Not for what you might have achieved,” she informed Al Jazeera.