Mumbai:

Aryan Khan’s fundamental rights are being violated and he is a victim of vendetta by an officer of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) whose wife failed to make it in the film industry, a Shiv Sena leader has said in a petition requesting the Supreme Court to step in. 

Well known farmers issues activist and Shiv Sena leader and state minister Kishore Tiwari’s petition adds to the political row over the drugs-on-cruise case in which Aryan Khan, the son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, was arrested along with seven others earlier this month. 

Maharashtra’s ruling coalition, especially the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), have accused the NCB of targeting Aryan Khan on orders from the Centre. 

Kishore Tiwari’s petition accuses the anti-drugs agency of “dirty vendetta” targeting film personalities and models and asks the Supreme Court to intervene and “protect the fundamental rights of Aryan Khan”. 

Referring to a Mumbai court deferring its decision on Aryan Khan’s bail plea till tomorrow on account of public holidays, the Shiv Sena leader said it had “led to big humiliation” and left the 23-year-old in jail “in an undemocratic and illegal way’ for 17 nights. 

Earlier, Sena chief and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had alleged that the anti-drugs agency was only interested in catching celebrities. 

Aryan Khan has been in Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail since October 8.

The NCB has arrested 20 people since its officers, in disguise, raided a rave party on a cruise ship off Mumbai on its way to Goa on October 2. Aryan Khan’s lawyers have repeatedly argued that no drugs were found on him. 

“It very relevant and painful to note that its incredible that someone remains inside (jail) for so many days without seizure of drugs or any other proof. No medical report of consumption, so no consumption,” said Mr Tiwari’s petition. 

“There is utter disregard to the principles of Right to Life and personal liberty as law settled by this court apart from a classic example of abuse of powers by one NCB officer,” the petition says.

The petition pleads for an order of judicial enquiry and investigation in to “the malafide role and vendetta style of working of NCB officer whose wife is in competition with other film celebrity/ model against whom NDPS Act action taken by this biased NCB officer,” Mr Tiwari said in his plea, appearing to target the agency’s zonal director Sameer Wankhede, whose wife is in the Marathi film industry. 

Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Ram Kadam, reacting to the petition, questioned why the Maharashtra government is supporting what he called the “drug magfia”.

“We are not against Aryan khan or any individual. We respect Shah Rukh Khan’s craft. But the way the Maharashtra government is supporting the drug mafia and targeting the NCB, we want to ask – what is the link? Is the state government getting kickbacks,” Mr Kadam questioned.

“The Sena and the state government will have to answer before they run to the Supreme Court,” added the BJP leader.