Actor out on Bail Following Drug Arrest

Indian actor Armaan Kohli will soon be out of jail. More than a year after he was arrested by the Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) for possession of 1.2 grams of cocaine, Kohli on Tuesday, Sept. 20 was granted bail. Kohli, the son of film director Rajkumar Kohli and actress Nishi, was initially booked in August 2021 under various provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) for consumption, possession and financing of banned contraband.

The actor’s lawyer, Tareq Sayyed, confirmed to the Times of India, “yes, Armaan Kohli has got bail, and he will be out after the formalities are done.” Per The Economic Times, the bench of Justice Nitin Sambre granted bail to Kohli on a surety of Rs on lakh. The Jaani Dushman actor’s bail, however, comes with a list of conditions. Under the terms of his bail, the course said the prosecution will be at liberty to move for the cancellation of bail if Kohli, 50, is found to be involved in a similar offense. Kohli must also appear before the drug law enforcement agency once a month. If Kohli does not abide by these conditions, the NCB can seek the cancellation of the actor’s bail.

The update in Kohli’s case comes after Kohli was arrested by the NCB in August 2021 for possession of 1.2 grams of cocaine following the arrest Israel Sam, a Nigerian national. The NCB recovered numerous phone calls and text messages from Kohli’s phone showing he was in regular contact with Sam, who was with 55 grams of Mephedrone, according to India Today. The prosecution alleged Sam used a total of four phones for communications.

“Their entire case is based on phone chats. How can these chats be attributed to me when there is no connection between the phones and their Panchanama?” Taraq Sayad, an advocate appearing for Kohli, said. “The amount was never paid and the entire argument is made on assumption. If money was paid, there would be a thank you or an acknowledgment.”

Kohli was ultimately booked under various provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) for consumption, possession and financing of banned contraband. His case is still ongoing. The actor is well-known for his appearances in several Bollywood films. His credits include Jaani Dushman, Kohra, Veer, Dushman Zamana, and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, among many others.