ACCESSED: Order copy denying Aryan Khan bail in NCB's cruise ship drugs bust

Actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan was denied bail by a Mumbai court on Wednesday, in connection with the Cordelia cruise drugs case in which he was arrested on October 2. Republic Media has now accessed the 18-page order copy of the court rejecting Aryan's bail plea, on grounds of his 'prima facie involvement in the grave and serious offense'.

'Cannot deny Aryan Khan's role in drugs case': Mumbai court

A single bench of Special (NDPS) Judge VV Patil ruled that the evidence placed on record by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) indicates prima facie involvement of Aryan Khan in illicit drug activity. The order cites Aryan's Whatsapp chats indicating that he contacted drug dealers and was part of a larger nexus. 

The bench also stated it is not possible to deny that Aryan Khan and other accused have not committed such an offence or they might not commit a similar offence if granted bail. Considering the possibilities of tampering with evidence, the court ruled that this case is not fit to grant bail.

"Thus, considering the prima-facie involvement of Accused No 1 (Aryan Khan) and Accused No 2 (Arbaaz Merchant) in commission of grave and serious offence, this is not a fit case for granting bail," the court ruled. 

"Considering the evidence on record it cannot be said that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the said accused that not guilty of such offence or they are not likely to commit such offence while on bail. For all the above reasons I hold that applications of Accused No, 1, 2, and 3 are liable to be rejected. ," it added. 

The bail applications of Aryan Khan and of his co-arrestees, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, were also rejected by Mumbai's Special NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act), Court. 

The court had reserved its verdict after hearing arguments on Wednesday and Thursday. The case relates to the busting of a high-profile party on the Cordelia cruise ship en route from Mumbai to Goa in which celebrities including Aryan Khan were arrested after the NCB seized small amounts of Cocaine, Mephedrone, Charas, Hydroponic Weed, MDMA, and cash totaling Rs. 1,33,000. 

After being denied bail twice, Aryan Khan's legal team has now filed an application in the Bombay High Court. The bail plea is likely to be mentioned on Thursday before Justice Nitin Sambre. Munmun Dhamecha has also filed for bail. 

Copy of court order rejecting Aryan Khan's bail plea

Aryan Khan by Republic World on Scribd