WhatsApp chats not valid: Court says while giving bail in cruise drug case

Mumbai: On the mere basis of WhatsApp chats, it can't be proved that Aachit Kumar supplied drugs to co-accused Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant, granting Kumar bail on the drugs-on-cruise case a special court observed on Saturday.

The court also raised questions on the integrity of the Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB) panchnama records and said they were fabricated and looked suspicious, PTI reported.

The court said in its detailed order that except for the WhatsApp chats with Aryan Khan, there was no evidence to show that Kumar was in drug peddling or connecting him with the other two in the case. It also said that though the NCB claimed Kumar is a peddler, it has not stated a single occasion where Kumar acted as one.

Kumar was put in illegal detention for a day, detained on October 5 but was shown as arrested on October 6. There is nothing to prove that there was any conspiracy between Aryan Khan and Kumar. Since Aryan Khan was released, Kumar should also get bail on the grounds of parity, the court said.

Kumar is the accused, no. 17 and was arrested on October 6 by NCB based on the statement given by Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant. The NCB had claimed that it had recovered 2.6 grams of ganja from Kumar's residence, and he used to supply ganja and Charas to the two accused.

The court also granted bail to four others, who were part of event management company Caneplus Trading Pvt Ltd, which had organised live shows on the Cordelia cruise. It said there is zero evidence to show that they had financed or harboured any offenders on the ship.

Of the total 20 arrested in the drugs-on cruise case, 14 have received bail so far.