Mumbai Drugs Case: Arbaaz Merchant's Father Reveals Why Aryan Khan's Release from Jail Was Delayed

Aryan Khan, the 23-year-old son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, returned to home and reunited with his family on Saturday morning after staying in Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail for over three weeks in connection with an alleged drugs party raided by a team of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on a cruise ship off the city coast.

Although Aryan was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on Thursday, but his release from the jail was delayed due to “interruption in electricity supply” while his release memo was being typed in the court.

Senior advocate Aslam Merchant, father of Aryan’s co-accused and friend Arbaaz Merchant, told ETimes in an interview, “Paperwork was delayed at sessions court and when the release memo was being typed, the electricity of the entire court was tripped for almost 25 to 35 vital minutes.”

ALSO READ: ‘NCB Tried to Stretch It Too Far’: Aryan Khan’s Advocate Mukul Rohatgi on Mumbai Drugs Case

Hence, Aryan’s release order got delayed and could not be reached by the 5.30 pm to the jail authorities, said Aslam.

For the unversed, Aryan Khan was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on Thursday evening. His legal team tried to release him from jail on Friday, but legal formalities took time and he missed the 5:30 pm deadline. He finally walked out on Saturday morning.

Aryan walked out of the prison at 11 am, got into a car and reached home Mannat, a landmark in surburban Bandra half an hour later, as fans waited outside the landmark bungalow to catch a glimpse.

Shah Rukh Khan’s actor-friend Juhi Chawla stood as surety for the 23-year-old before the special court, designated to hear cases related to the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS).

ALSO READ: NCB’s Panch Witness in Aryan Khan Arrest Was Used in Five Cases Since 2020, Agency Says ‘No Option’

The HC on Friday afternoon made available its operative order in which it imposed 14 bail conditions on Aryan and his co-accused in the case, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, who were also granted bail, stipulating their release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each with one or two sureties of the same amount. The relief to the trio came just a day before the HC was scheduled to take a two-week break for Diwali.

In the five-page order, the high court said the trio will have to surrender their passports before the NDPS court and shall not leave India without taking permission from the special court and will have to attend the NCB office each Friday between 11 am and 2 pm to mark their presence. The judge will give a detailed bail order with reasons next week.

Merchant, who was lodged in Arthur Road prison in central Mumbai and Dhamecha, who was in Byculla women’s jail, were also released on bail on Sunday.

Aryan, Merchant and Dhamecha were arrested by the NCB on October 3 and booked under relevant sections of the NDPS Act for possession, consumption, sale/purchase of banned drugs and conspiracy and abetment.

(with inputs from PTI)

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News and IPL 2022 Live Updates here.