“I have been found with nothing."
Celebrity phone numbers and drug-related chats have been found in the phones of the accused in connection with the Aryan Khan drugs case.
The contact details of both Bollywood and Hollywood stars have been recovered by the Indian Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
The numbers appear to have been written in a coded format on one of the suspect’s phones, according to the Times of India.
Chats between both parties also revealed that many Bollywood actors and their families were delivered large quantities of narcotics.
It comes after a Cordelia Cruises ship making its way to Goa was raided by the NCB off of the Mumbai coast on Saturday, October 2, 2021.
A number of substances including cocaine, MDMA and Mephedrone are all believed to have been consumed during a party aboard the ship.
Khan appeared at the Esplanade Court in Mumbai on Friday, October 8, 2021, but was denied bail and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody.
The NCB had told the court that releasing him could negatively affect the case, as he could potentially tamper with evidence and influence witnesses.
One of those accused in the case, Arbaaz Merchant, who is believed to have shared narcotics with Aryan Khan, was also denied bail by the court.
Munmun Dhamechat, another suspect connected with the midnight drugs raid, was also not released.
However, Khan’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde pointed out during the bail hearing that the NCB had not found any substances in his client’s possession.
He said: “No material has been found on me or in my bag, where is the material to prosecute?
“Since I am not found in possession of anything I cannot be trucked with them [other accused].
“I have been found with nothing. Not even one gram… one ounce… and so much capital is being made out of it.
“Nothing much has emerged in five days and that is because there is nothing.
“I am from a respectable family, not likely to abscond. Accused who they say (are) connected to me already in their custody.”
Meanwhile, the NCB responded to allegations that Aryan Khan is being targeted due to his status and that his arrest must be politically motivated.
They said: “Narcotics Control Bureau follows a professional and unbiased approach in its ongoing mission of tackling the drug menace in the country.
“NCB takes actions either on the basis of inputs received from public sources or based on developed intelligence inputs incorporating various surveillance means.”
On Saturday, October 9, 2021, Shah Rukh Khan’s driver was also questioned in relation to the Aryan Khan drugs case.