NEW DELHI , A court in India granted Shah Rukh Khan's son bail on Thursday. This was after he was accused of a high-profile drug case. The actor found himself in the middle of a social media boycott.
According to the Bombay High Court, Aryan Khan will be released on Friday with a detailed bail order. This means that Khan is likely to spend another night in prison.
Khan, 23 years old, and seven other people were taken into custody on October 3rd when India's Narcotics Agents raided a party. They also seized drugs from a luxury cruise ship just off the Mumbai coast. Since Oct. 8, he has been in Mumbai's Arthur Road prison.
This case has been ongoing for three weeks. India's Narcotics Agency claims it has evidence through WhatsApp messages that Khan was involved with illicit drug dealings.
Anil Singh, a lawyer representing the agency, appeared before the court on Thursday. He stated that Khan has a history of using drugs and had been in contact with peddlers.
Mukul Rohatgi, a lawyer representing Khan, stated that Khan was not found with drugs at the time of his arrest. He also denied that Khan had been in contact or attempted to get into drug deals. Rohatgi described Khan's arrest as "arbitrary" and said that there was no medical examination that could have shown Khan had taken drugs.
Khan had been denied bail last week by the agency. They claimed that Khan could influence witnesses and tamper evidence, which would impact their investigation.
This case has been dominating media headlines in India for weeks. It has divided social media, with Khan's fans demanding Khan's release and others calling for boycotts of Khan's films.
Twitter trending hashtag #BollywoodDruggies alongside Khan's father's name was #BollywoodDruggies. India's independent TV news channels gave wall-to-wall coverage of the case, with many siding with the narcotics agent.
Shah Rukh Khan did not make an official statement, but many Bollywood stars have sided with him.
The 55-year old star of India is India's most beloved and is also known as "King Bollywood". He has appeared in over 105 movies in his nearly three-decade career.
The narcotics agency interrogated some Bollywood's most famous stars in relation to the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, a well-known actor. Rajput committed suicide, and doctors and the police disregarded drugs.
