Cruise ship drug case: Aryan Khan walks out of prison 25 days after arrest

Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan was released on bail from Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail after the prison authorities received the release memo on Saturday.

He was released at 11 am soon after the prison officers completed the official process in this regard on receipt of the bail order. Immediately after walking out of the prison, he entered a waiting car and drove to his house Mannat in suburban Bandra, 12 km away.

Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan, who arrived at the prison in a convoy along with personal security guards early in the morning, received Aryan.

The Bombay High Court had granted bail to Aryan Khan, 25 days after he was arrested during a drug raid on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast. However, the 23-year-old had to spend one more day at the jail as documents related to his release did not reach jail authorities in time on Friday.

The officials collected six bail orders, including those of Aryan, on Saturday after the bail order box outside the prison was opened around 5:30 am on Saturday. The Mumbai Central Prison is commonly referred to as Arthur Road Jail.

He was arrested on October 3 a day after a drugs raid conducted by the Narcotics Control Bureau on Cordelia Cruises' ship 'Empress' which was bound for Goa. Two others - fashion model Munmun Dhamecha and Aryan's friend Arbaaz Merchant - were also arrested. They were sent to 14-day judicial custody on October 7 after their initial custodial remand with the NCB expired. A day later they were lodged at the Arthur Road prison.

While granting Aryan bail on Thursday in the drugs-on-cruise case, the Bombay High Court imposed 14 bail conditions on him, paving the way for his release from jail.

In the five-page order, the high court said that Aryan Khan and his two co-accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, who were also granted bail, shall be released on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each with one or two sureties of the same amount.

As per the conditions set by the high court, the trio will have to surrender their passports before the special NDPS court and shall not leave India without taking permission from the special court and that they will have to attend the NCB office each Friday between 11 am and 2 pm to mark their presence.

In the evening, a special court issued the release memo for Aryan Khan, granted bail by the HC on Thursday after 25 days of arrest in the case related to alleged seizure of drugs onboard a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast earlier this month, but his legal team could not meet the deadline for submission of papers.

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

While Aryan Khan and Merchant are lodged at the Arthur Road prison in central Mumbai, Dhamecha is at the Byculla women's prison.

The HC said if the trio violates any of the conditions imposed then the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which is probing the cruise drugs case, shall "straightaway apply to the special judge/court for cancellation of their bail."

"Each of the applicants/accused shall execute personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with one or more sureties in the like amount," the order said.

The HC said the accused shall not personally or through anyone make any attempt to influence witnesses or tamper with the evidence.

The accused should give prior intimation to the NCB before leaving Mumbai and shall provide with their itinerary.

It added that Aryan Khan, his friend Merchant and Dhamecha, a fashion model, shall not indulge in any activity similar to the activities on the basis of which the present case stands registered against them for offences under the NDPS Act.

The HC further said the trio shall not establish any contact with any of the co-accused in the case or anyone involved in similar activities, and join the investigation as and when called by the NCB.

"Once the trial begins, the applicants/accused shall not in any manner try to delay the trial," the court said.

(With PTI inputs)