Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan gets bail

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, was granted bail by the Bombay High Court – 26 days after he was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the drug related case.

Aryan spent 6 days in the NCB custody, followed by 20 days at Mumbai’s notorious Arthur Road Jail.

On October 21, Shah Rukh stepped out publicly for the first time after his son’s arrest to meet him at the jail.

While Salman Khan visited SRK’s residence ‘Mannat’ soon after the arrest, Hrithik Roshan was the other big name to publicly come out in support.

Timeline of Aryan Khan’s Drug case

• October 2: NCB conducts raids at the Cordelia Cruise, which was set to cruise from Mumbai to Goa. 10 people are detained. Early reports emerge that a ‘superstar’s son’ is one among the detained.
• October 3: The NCB confirms that Aryan Khan, his friend Arbaaz Merchant and model Munmun Dhamecha have been arrested and remanded to NCB custody.
• October 4: Aryan is produced before a city court. The NCB claims to possess WhatsApp conversations between Aryan and international drug peddlers. Court gives NCB his custody till October 7.
• October 7: Several arrests are made, including a foreign national. Aryan is sent to judicial custody for 14 days. He seeks bail immediately.
• October 8: Magistrate court rejects the bail. SRK’s son is sent to the dreaded Arthur Road jail, where he will be given the same treatment as hardened criminals. Request for home cooked food is rejected.
• October 9-14: Aryan’s advocate seek urgent hearing of his bail plea. The court reserves its order for October 20.
• October 20: Special NDPS court rejects bail – raising fears that Aryan could spend the Diwali week – which includes his father’s 56th birthday on November 2nd – in the jail. The court rejecting the bail also raises questions on whether the judge sees merit in the case and on whether Aryan could be in deeper trouble than previously expected.
• October 21: Shah Rukh makes his first public appearance after the arrest, visits his son at the Arthur Road Jail. On the same day, media begins reporting a NCB raid at SRK’s residence Mannat, which later turns out to be a visit to get some documents. Aryan’s lawyers move the Bombay High Court for bail.
• October 26: High Court begins its hearing.
• October 28: High Court grants bail to Aryan Khan, 27 days after the NCB detained him.

Even though the bail has been granted and Aryan is a free-man for the time being – the legal battle will continue in the months to come.

There have been media reports that Shah Rukh’s family is expected to put Aryan under ‘house arrest’ as his moves will be tracked closely by the NCB as well as the media.

Meanwhile, Shah Rukh has put his work on hold for the time being. It will be relief for the family and him that the bail was granted before the court goes on a week-long holiday for Diwali.