Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood superstar
Shah Rukh Khan was granted bail Thursday, three weeks after being arrested during a cruise ship drugs bust by the Narcotics Control Bureau (
NCB
).
Although it'll be a day or two before the starkid walks free, his legal team has welcomed the verdict. In a statement to the media, advocate
Satish Maneshinde
said on behalf of his team, "Aryan Shah Rukh Khan has ultimately been released on bail by the HC. No possession, no evidence, no consumption, no conspiracy, right from the first moment when he was detained on 2nd Nov 2021… Nor is there anything as of now. We are grateful to Almighty that our prayers were accepted by Mr Justice
Nitin Sambre
and granted bail to Aryan. Satya Meva Jayate."
Aryan, 23, was detained on October 2, alongside 8 others after the NCB raided a ship set to sail from Mumbai to Goa. He was given bail today, along with two others by the Bombay High Court on their fourth attempt.
"He would likely be released on Friday or Saturday," his lawyer and India's former attorney-general
Mukul Rohatgi
told reporters.
Fans who have been gathering outside Khan's home, Mannat, to show solidarity, today celebrated the judgment by holding up banners and lighting firecrackers. Shah Rukh and wife
Gauri Khan have also been receiving support from several Bollywood A-listers on and off social media.
The NCB officer investigating the case,
Sameer Wankhede
, is currently facing an internal probe within the bureau and another by Mumbai police over allegations of bribery and extortion related to the case.
Rohatgi told the court 'Aryan should be granted bail as no drugs were found in his possession and prosecutors had no proof of any consumption'.
The narcotics agency opposed bail, arguing that the investigation revealed an 'international drug connection' and had found drug-related WhatsApp chats on his phone.
Justice Sambre will pronounce his detailed order on the case on Friday.