Mumbai Police on Tuesday said that Cordelia cruise ship, on which the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted a drug party and arrested eight, sailing towards Goa had no permission.
As per Mumbai Police sources, the matter comes under Yellow Gate police station’s jurisdiction.
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“Their permission is necessary but no permission was taken, neither was any intimation given,” they added.
However, as per police officials, since multiple agencies are involved in granting permissions, the Mumbai police will speak to the Directorate General of Shipping and Mumbai Port Trust about what permissions were given to the cruise ship.
The police are also checking violation of section 188 since Maharashtra government has imposed Disaster Management Act in the state due to the pandemic and section 144 was also in place barring assembly of more than five people at a place.
If investigations reveal that such sections have been defied, an FIR will be filed by Mumbai Police. A team of Port Zone police is also investigating the matter.
NCB Mumbai Director Sameer Wankhede has said that there are more suspects in connection with the case.
An NCB team had first detained and then arrested eight person in connection with the Cordelia Cruise drug party, Wankhede said. All of the eight persons were later arrested on October 3.
Three accused including Aryan Khan, Arbaz Seth Merchant, and Munmun Dhamecha were produced before Mumbai’s Esplanade Court which remanded them to NCB custody till 4 October.
As per the NCB, three persons have been booked under Section 8C, 20B, 27 (Punishment for consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance) and 35 (Presumption of culpable mental state) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act).
Satish Maneshinde, the defence lawyer of Aryan Khan said in the court, “Accused number 1, Aryan Khan was invited for the cruise party. However, he did not have a boarding pass. He didn’t have any seat or cabin there. Secondly, according to the seizure, nothing has been found in his possession. He is arrested only based on chats.”
Other accused in the case include Nupur Satija, Ishmeet Singh Chadha, Mohak Jaiswal, Gomit Chopra and Vikrant Chhokar.
(With agency inputs)
