Shah Rukh’s son Aryan given bail, likely to be released today

MUMBAI: The son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was granted bail Thursday three weeks after being arrested during a cruise ship drugs bust in a case that has gripped India. Aryan Khan, 23, the eldest son of the actor dubbed the “King of Bollywood”, was detained in early October alongside 19 others after the Narcotics Control Bureau raided a ship set to sail from Mumbai to Goa. He was given bail Thursday along with two others by the High Court of Bombay on their fourth attempt. He would likely be released on Friday or Saturday, his lawyer and India´s former attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi told reporters.

The case has grabbed headlines across India, dominating front pages and receiving non-stop coverage on news channels. Some have claimed that Khan, a Muslim, is a victim of religious persecution in a country governed by a Hindu-nationalist party.

Social media has been flooded with messages of support for the family, with many calling the arrest a witch-hunt. Fans gathered outside the elder Khan’s seaside mansion in Mumbai to show solidarity and the family have also received support from several Bollywood A-listers.