Don't put Aryan in jail: Chats show SRK begged Wankhede
What's the story
Alleged leaked WhatsApp chats between former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede and megastar Shah Rukh Khan revealed that Khan pleaded with Wankhede not to put his son Aryan Khan in jail as it would "destroy his spirit."
Notably, Wankhede arrested Aryan in October 2021 for alleged drug abuse after raiding a cruise ship. Wankhede was NCB Mumbai Zonal director then.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has accused Wankhede and others of demanding a Rs. 25 crore bribe from Khan's family, threatening that his son would be otherwise framed in the alleged cruise raid.
After spending four weeks in jail, Aryan was cleared of all charges by the anti-drugs agency in May 2022 due to a "lack of sufficient evidence."
Chat
Beg you to have mercy on my family: Khan
The purported chat reads, "Get your guys to go slow for God's sake. I swear I will stand by you at all times...I beg you to please have mercy on me and my family."
"We are a simple set of people and my son has been a bit wayward, but he doesn't deserve being in a jail like a hardened criminal."
Details
You promised you will reform him: Khan to Wankhede
The alleged screenshots further showed Khan saying, "I beg you, man, please don't let him be in that jail. He will break as a human being. His spirit will be destroyed because of some vested people."
"You promised you will reform my child not put him in a place where he may come out completely battered and broken."