Mahajan Jr faces similar charges as Fardeen

Rahul Mahajan, arrested by the Delhi police on Monday evening under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, has been charged with offences similar to those for which actor Fardeen Khan was arrested in 2001.

Both Rahul and Fardeen are accused of sale and purchase of drugs, allowing one’s premises/car for trade/use of drugs, consumption of cocaine and abetting other offenders. If the charges are proved, Rahul, and Fardeen, could be imprisoned for 10 years, with or without a fine of Rs20,000. “If the court accepts their plea that they had purchased a ‘small’ quantity of cocaine to satiate their addiction, then the two may be punished with an imprisonment of up to six months,” said senior advocate AB Sharif.

“At the judge’s discretion, they may escape imprisonment, but may be fined Rs20, 000,” he said. “If Rahul and Fardeen offer to undergo a detoxification programme and promise that they will not leave it mid-way, and if the court accepts the offer, then there is a chance of the present prosecution against them getting vitiated,” said Fardeen’s lawyer Ayaz Khan. While Rahul is in police custody, Fardeen is away in Uganda.