Freedom, Mahatma, 'Gen Next English' figure in Aryan Khan bail feud

Mumbai, Oct 15 (IANS) The heated arguments for and against Aryan Khan's bail plea before the special NDPS court on Friday witnessed the prosecution and defence invoking Mahatma Gandhi and Queen's English versus the gen-next lingo.

During the past couple of days, the Narcotics Control Bureau's legal battery alleged Aryan Khan, the son of Shah Rukh Khan, was involved in "illicit drug trafficking" with international ramifications and painted the superstar-son as a "junkie" regularly hooked to drugs.

Senior advocate Amit Desai, representing him, urged Special Judge V.V. Patil saying the accused are young and their plea for bail should be considered.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh strongly disagreed saying that the "future generation" and the country would be depending on them.

"This is not our freedom fighters in the land of Mahatma Gandhi envisioned... The NCB officers are working day and night to fight the drug menace. They also get beaten up when they are on duty," he argued.

Besides, he said that international conventions mandate all countries to take drug trafficking seriously as it affects the society and the whole world.

Desai countered by reminding that the country fought for a Constitution and for the procedures established by law, so everything must happen as per this law.

"I don't think there can be a debate that the entire world is fighting the drug menace. We got our freedom, and we must protect it and save the younger generation from it," he said.

On the ASG and the NCB relying on certain WhatsApp chats of the accused ("Let's have a blast", etc), Desai said that the modern generation had a means of communication, which is English, but not the Queen's English.

"It's sometimes what the older generation will call a torture. The way they (Gen next) communicate is very different. There is always a possibility that casual conversations between friends on WhatsApp may appear suspicious," he said.

Hence, he argued that by no stretch of imagination is the boy (Khan) in illicit international drug trafficking, and said the NCB may write to the MEA and continue with the probe, but he should be granted his liberty.

Desai admitted that Aryan Khan was abroad for a while and in other countries, lot of things are legitimate though he was not sure what type of chats were there, and it was the context of the chat conversation which was important.

"Is this youthful banter, friendly gossip, joke...is someone trying to tell him I got this, I did this, were they trying to joke, laugh about it?" he asked.

After the marathon arguments of over five hours, the Special NDPS Judge reserved his verdict in the bail pleas of Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, and Munmun Dhamecha to October 20.

The trio is among the 8 nabbed originally after the NCB's high-profile rave party raid on board a luxury ship, Cordelia Cruise on October 2. Later, another 12 persons were arrested.