Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan has failed to secure bail in a narcotics case for now as a Mumbai Sessions Court reserved the order until Wednesday, according to local media.
The court on Thursday sent him back to jail after the Narcotics Control Bureau told the judge that Aryan, 23, has been a “regular consumer of drugs for the last few years”. It was the second day of the bail hearing.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, representing the central agency, referred to on-record statements to argue against Aryan’s bail, broadcaster NDTV reported.
Singh also threw in dramatic appeals for good measure, telling the court "this is the land of Mahatma Gandhi... this (drug) abuse is affecting young boys".
Amit Desai, arguing for Aryan, said that the WhatsApp chats the agency was relying on heavily can often appear suspicious given the kind of language young people use today, says a bdnews24.com report.
"Please bear in mind one other reality. Today's generation have a means of communication, which is English... not the Queen's English.. it's sometimes what the older generation will call a torture. The way they communicate is very different," he said.
"Conversions on chats can often be misunderstood. WhatsApp chats are supposed to be private conversations. But I am told there are no messages or conversations on the mobile about the rave party," Desai said.
Aryan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau after a raid of a party being held on a cruise ship off Mumbai's coast on Oct 2. He was remanded to 14 days of judicial custody and sent to Mumbai's Arthur Road jail, where he was kept in quarantine for five days.
Lawyer Desai acknowledged the dangers of drugs, particularly on younger people, but stressed "whatever action is taken, it should be within the ambit of the law".
"I am not saying my client is (an) addict... I am just reading that document. I am not saying anything personally but I am talking about the Supreme Court, the legislature and the government, and they have accepted that provision of punishment will be decided on basis of quantity," he said.
The defence's case is that Aryan Khan did not have drugs on him when he was arrested.
