'Aryan Khan is friends with Arbaaz, but doesn't know his activities': SRK's son's lawyer

Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and several of the seven other arrested with him by the NCB orally submitted before Killa Court during their remand hearing on Thursday. During the course of proceedings and arguments, Aryan Khan's lawyer said that his client does not deny friendship with co-accused Arbaaz Merchant but he is 'not connected with Arbaaz's activities'. While the court has sent the 8 accused to judicial custody for 14 days, Aryan Khan's counsel, Satish Maneshinde, has moved for bail for Aryan, with the plea set to be heard at 11 am on Friday. 

On October 7, while NCB filed an application for the extension of NCB custody of Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha until October 11, advocating for Aryan Khan's release from the NCB custody, Maneshine asserted that Aryan Khan had arrived at the event aboard Cordelia Cruises ship upon the invite of a friend named Pratik Gawa. He argued that Aryan Khan saw Arbaaz Merchant standing at the entrance and 'walked along with him'. 

'If evidence against me, I am ready to get examined': Aryan Khan's advocate to Mumbai court

"By then the NCB officials came and started searching. They asked him about the drugs, he said no. They checked his bag but got nothing," Maneshinde argued.

In addition, Maneshinde, while pleading with the court to release Aryan Khan, vouched that if NCB found pieces of evidence against Aryan Khan, he is 'ready to be examined'. Further pointing out that Aryan Khan's oral admission stands that he didn't consume drugs, and also there is no complaint of drug consumption against him, Maneshinde urged the court to grant him judicial custody.  

"If they find any pieces of evidence against me, I am ready to get examined. I will cooperate with the interrogation," Maneshinde had said.

'Aryan Khan & Arbaaz Merchant friends, but Aryan doesn't know Arbaaz's activities'

Satish Maneshinde said that Aryan Khan knows Arbaaz Merchant and "I don't deny Aryan's friendship with Arbaaz but he is not connected with Arbaaz's activities." At one point, advocate Ayaz Khan representing Nupur and Ishmeet contradicted a fellow co-accused's advocate, stating "some are saying 'I was in custody the longest'... Let's just say everyone here was in their custody since the beginning." 

Meanwhile, Maneshinde asserted before the court that every day of NCB custody should be justified and questioned why the accused in the case were not already formally probed.  Advocate Maneshinde said, "Based on Aryan Khan's statement, you picked up a person (Aachit Kumar). Yesterday (October 6) after the arrest, they should have confronted Aryan and Arbaaz as they were under your (NCB) custody." He added, "Question of confronting should not be the only ground for seeking custody." The court, while pronouncing its order of 14 days judicial custody, also added that custodial interrogation was not required hereafter.