NCB SIT found no evidence against Aryan in #MumbaiDrugBust: Report
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has found several irregularities in the raid conducted at Cordelia Cruises last year. According to a new report, the team has found non-uniformity in the subsequent arrest of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son, Aryan, too. Notably, following NCB's arrest, the 24-year-old had spent nearly a month in custody in 2021.
Why does this story matter?
The case can be traced back to the central agency's raid at a rave party on Cordelia Cruises's Empress ship on October 2. NCB found many people in possession of drugs and detained them. Aryan, who was invited on the Mumbai-Goa ship, was detained even though no drug was found on him. Following a long-drawn legal battle, Aryan was granted bail on October 28.
What are the findings?
As per details of the investigation shared by Hindustan Times, Aryan was "never in possession of drugs hence there was no need to take his phone and check his chats." Moreover, the chats don't suggest the star kid was a part of any international syndicate, so NCB Mumbai Unit's charge of Aryan being part of any big conspiracy does not hold true.
Here's more on the investigation
Detailing about the irregularities in the case, the report said the Cordelia Cruises raid wasn't video-recorded as is mandated by the anti-drug agency's manual. Further, the drugs recovered from multiple accused were tagged to be a "single recovery." To note, the SIT is yet to complete its investigation, upon which a formal report will be submitted to NCB Director General SN Pradhan.
What were the findings in past?
To recall, Sameer Wankhede, who was leading the drug bust case, faced a lot of flak throughout the course. The officer was also accused of being part of an extortion racket. In November last year, the agency set up an SIT to look into the case while the Mumbai Police investigated the extortion charges. By December end, police found no evidence of extortion.
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