One is rarely interested in the doings of celebrities because quite simply celebrity gossip is immaterial to one's life and the overall scheme of things. However, the issue about the arrest of Aryan Khan, son of Shah Rukh Khan refuses to leave the headlines. We keep seeing hashtags like #AryahKhan, #AryahKhanarrest, #AryahKhanbail trending. Arrested almost three weeks ago, Aryan Khan continues to be in jail; his bail application being repeatedly denied. So why exactly is does he continue to be in jail?
On 2nd October, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) detained 8 people out of some 1,300 people onboard a cruise ship headed from Mumbai to Goa. An FIR was lodged the next day and after a hearing before the magistrate, the detainees were remanded to NCB custody for a day. Remand was then extended till 7th. Thereafter bail pleas were rejected on 8th, 14th and 20th October. Currently, Aryan Khan is lodged in Arthur Road jail.
From the facts in the public domain, it appears that some grams of hashish and weed were found in possession of some of those arrested. However according to reports, Khan did not have any in his possession, nor was he found to be under the influence. The prosecution has relied mainly on WhatsApp chats found on Khan’s phone, which they have said indicate conspiracy and other crimes including something called 'concious possession'.
A lot of people have applauded the continuing arrest and denial of bail for Khan and other high profile accused in this matter.
Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan clarified that in our system bail is the rule and jail is the exception. However the court appears not to have followed this principle in this matter.
They believe this proves that the law is taking its course regardless of the celebrity status of people like Khan and co-accused such as Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha
Some pointed out that bail was granted in a case where video evidence of shooting and injuring and later inflammatory hate speeches was available. However it has been repeatedly rejected when no drugs were found in possession.
Although, several others were also arrested along with Khan, the spotlight of the media as well as social media has been on mainly on Khan. Meanwhile, thousands of others languish in jail without bail, without trial for so long that the process itself becomes the punishment.
Some tweeple pointed out that if WhatsApp chats are to have evidentiary value, a lot of other very high profile people may also be in a lot of trouble.
Some believe that this is the result of political pressure; that there is political mileage to be made out of refusing bail to high profile people such as Khan and others.
Close to 3000 kg of heroin was seized at Adani's Mundra Port in Gujarat recently. Just 3 people have been detained in this matter of one of the biggest ever hauls of hard drugs. The media has given this not even a fraction of attention that they have to the other alleged drug matter.
Until the 80s, charas and ganja were legally available in India. Even today, these are widely consumed and few people think this to be a crime.
As Aryan Khan and others continue to be in jail for close to three weeks for a ‘crime’ evidenced only by WhatsApp chats for now, people have many theories for this. Veteran reporter Priya Ramani is of the view that this is the politics of vendetta that isn't just against a person. It is against the plural and syncretic idea of India that the person and the film industry represent, she says.
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