By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2021-10-03 12:46:25
The raid on a cruise ship full of the celebrity crowd and the subsequent discovery of narcotic substances in good quantity by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) once again proves that no party or outing in Mumbai (as also in some other cities and towns) is complete without the consumption of banned drugs. Perhaps it gives a high to the jet-set, as they are called, to know that they have the power and the resources to acquire, consume and allow their friends to consume too, something that is not permitted under law.
The NCB got a tip-off that contraband was being carried on the said cruise ship despite the fact that it had sold tickets online with a warning that narcotic substances were not allowed on board. It seems that the travel planners were aware that tickets would be bought (given the exorbitant pricing) by the rich and celebrities and that they might carry narcotic substances. Hence it is surprising that they did not carry out proper checks while allowing people on board as they would have been fully conversant with the spot they would land themselves in if such substances were found on board.
The NCB has also arrested several persons, one of whom is reportedly Aryan Khan, son of Shahrukh Khan. He was brought to the NCB office in Mumbai and questioned about his involvement in the drug racket. Also arrested were a couple of drug peddlers. After the seizure of 3000 kg of heroin at Mundra port in Gujarat and smaller quantities of other drugs in some other places, and the allegations of "narcotics jihad" in Kerala, it is clear that drugs are being shipped into India through many points and in newer ways than before. Although the NCB has been after celebrities, particularly those connected to the film and television industry after the suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and has also been accused of unfairly targeting some big names, there is no doubt that it has to be efficient if the drug menace is to be brought under control. Only, it has to do its work transparently and in an unbiased manner without an agenda.
The involvement of 23-year-old Aryan Khan in the instant case is likely to raise the pitch. Till the time of writing this piece, there was no comment from either the agency or Shahrukh Khan about how Aryan was or was not involved and was picked up just as he happened to be on the ship and in the party where drugs were being used. The megastar was spotted leaving his home for a meeting with his lawyers. Nothing can be said before the NCB formally charges any of the arrested persons.
PS: The NCB has formally arrested Aryan Khan on the charge of consuming narcotics.