Aryan Khan ‘has hope’ as he is Shah Rukh Khan’s son, says Arbaaz Merchant’s father: ‘We’re just common people’

Aslam Merchant, the father of Arbaaz Merchant, said that Aryan Khan ‘has hope’ in the drugs case because his father is Shah Rukh Khan. Aryan and Arbaaz were arrested earlier this month after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) conducted a raid at an alleged rave party on a cruise ship. The two are currently in Arthur Road jail.

In an interview, Aslam said that Aryan and Arbaaz expected to get bail sooner and are ‘taken aback’ at how long it is taking. “Personally, I feel, at least Aryan has hope that his father is Shah Rukh Khan, a hugely popular and influential figure. But neither Arbaaz nor his father has that kind of influence. We’re just common people with no connections,” he told a leading daily.

He added, “I think Arbaaz was unlucky, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was just destiny I guess. But I am happy, how he has stuck by his best friend Aryan. He’s been a loyal friend, I call him a yaaron ka yaar.”

Shah Rukh made his first public appearance after Aryan’s arrest on Thursday morning, when he visited the Arthur Road jail. He was seen greeting everyone with folded hands on his way out. He is yet to comment on his son’s arrest.

Aryan has been in judicial custody since October 8. After his bail application was rejected by a Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court last week, his lawyers moved the Bombay High Court. His bail plea will be heard on October 26.

Also read | Arbaaz Merchant’s father reveals son’s conversation with Aryan Khan that ‘surprised’ him: ‘They are both taken aback’

Meanwhile, an ‘independent witness’ in the case, Prabhakar Sail, claimed that he overheard a conversation on October 3 about a bribe of ₹18 crore, of which ₹8 crore would be given to NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede. He also alleged that he was made to sign several blank papers. However, a senior NCB official told PTI that the allegations were ‘completely false and malicious’.