Rhea Chakraborty and Aryan Khan - two high profile NCB drug cases in a year's gap; Here's how similar and different they are

The news and headlines about drug use in Bollywood are not new. Yet in the gap of one year, two have profile drug cases have shaken the film industry to its core.

Last year, around the same time it was Rhea Chakraborty and others linked to late actor Sushant Singh Rajput who were the subjects of every prime time news discussion as the Narcotics Control Bureau levied some serious allegations against the actress and her brother along with Sushant’s manager and domestic help.

WhatsApp messages flashing on news channels, Rhea being mobbed outside the NCB office by a sea of cameras are images still fresh in our memory as Shah Rukh Khan’s 23-year-old son Aryan Khan meets a similar fate this year after being arrested on October 3 by the anti-drug agency at a cruise party that was bound for Goa from Mumbai.

NCB’s discovery

Rhea was accused of procuring and financing drugs for Sushant Singh Rajput after the Enforcement Directorate allegedly found some incriminating evidence against her on seizing her phone to investigate financial fraud which was an accusation levied by Sushant’s family. The NCB launched an investigation based on WhatsApp chats found on Rhea’s phone which allegedly related to drug consumption, procurement, usage and transportation.

While Aryan might have hit NCB’s radar under very different circumstances but the agency after detaining the star kid arrested him based on similar grounds as Rhea. The agency is said to have found chats between Aryan and another accused Aachit Kumar about bulk quantities of drugs which could lead them to discover a larger syndicate. He was detained because he arrived at Mumbai’s international port to board the Cordelia Cruise for a party with actor Arbaaz Merchant, who the NCB found carrying 6 grams of charas.

In both cases, the NCB has not found any drugs on the two high profile accused individually or have been able to prove consumption. Both Rhea and Aryan have been represented in their respective cases by senior lawyer Satish Manshinde.

Charges

Rhea was booked by the NCB under sections Sections 8 (c) read with section 20 (b) (ii), 22, 27A, 28, 29 and 30 of the NDPS Act 1985.

Sections 8 (c) prohibits produce, manufacture, possession, sell, purchase, transport, warehouse, use, consume, import, and export of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances. It read with the other sections like 20 (b) (ii) and 22 which define punishment based on recovery with 20 being related particularly with cannabis. Section 27A makes financing of banned drugs and harbouring of offenders punishable and defines punishment, section 28 defines attempt to commit the offense, 29 about abetment and conspiracy to commit offense, and 30 talks about preparation to commit the offense.

Aryan on the other hand, has been charged under sections 8(c), 20(b), 27, and 35 of the NDPS Act. Here 20 (b) makes possession of cannabis punishable based on quantity. Section 27 makes consumption of narcotic substances punishable while 35 talks about ‘culpable mental state’ which means that the accused knew what they were doing and it falls on the accused to prove otherwise.

In Rhea’s case the NCB in their remand claimed that the actress could be linked to a higher syndicate and painted her as a supplier of drugs to Sushant Singh Rajput. As for Aryan, the star kid is similarly claimed to be regularly linked to suppliers and the other accused on whom drugs were found.

Defense

Both Rhea and Aryan denied consumption in their respective cases while the NCB never mentioned any drugs procured from these individuals. The actress had claimed in her bail application that the late actor relied on those close to him to sustain his drug habit. The Bombay High Court while granting bail said that she had no criminal ascendants and is not likely to commit an offence while on bail. The court also said that the actress is not a supplier since procuring drugs for someone else did not mean she gained financially from it.

Aryan’s bail plea was rejected by a Magistrate Court despite no drugs having being found on him and the absence of a criminal record. Satish Manshinde on his behalf argued that he is not likely to abscond or tamper evidence while on bail. Aryan also said through his lawyer that he was invited to the party alone and did not know any other accused. Him being caught with Arbaaz was purely circumstantial as they knew each other and happened to be in the same place without prior knowledge of each other’s arrival.

The star kid remain in 14 day judicial custody.