The Bombay High Court on Wednesday allowed Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan's son Aryan Khan not to attend the office of the NCB in Mumbai, as mandated by it while granting him bail. The HC said Aryan can appear before the NCB office in Delhi, as and when he is summoned.
Aryan had moved the single-judge bench of Justice Nitin Sambre, who had granted him bail on October 28 after he spent over 25 days in prison for his alleged role in the case.
While granting him bail, Justice Sambre had imposed numerous conditions on him, including the one mandating him to appear before the NCB Mumbai office every week.
However, Aryan had sought to do away with this condition. He claimed that since the investigation has been transferred to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Delhi office of the NCB, his visits to the Mumbai office could be relaxed.
Further, Aryan contended that whenever he visits the NCB office, he is accosted by policemen due to the large presence of media.
On Wednesday, the NCB filed it's reply through prosecutor Shriram Shirsath, by which the agency didn't oppose Aryan's plea. The prosecutor submitted that the relaxation should be allowed subject to the condition that Aryan should appear before the SIT, which is now probing the case, in Delhi, as and when he is summoned.
Justice Sambre noted the submissions and said, "The NCB counsel states that whatever is the modification can be granted subject to the condition that he (Aryan) would have to appear before the NCB, Delhi."
"Thus, Aryan shall attend office at Delhi as and when summoned with a 72 hour prior notice," the Court said in its order.
Notably, Aryan was arrested on October 2, from the international port terminal in the city, along with his friend Arbaz Merchant and social media influencer Munmun Dhamecha. The NCB had claimed that Khan is a part of an international drug racket and to substantiate its claim, the agency had relied upon the WhatsApp chats of Khan with the other accused in the case.
The HC bench of Justice Sambre had held that the alleged incriminating chats didn’t establish any conspiracy to have been hatched by Khan or anyone else for drug peddling.
