As per prison rules, Aryan Khan speaks on WhatsApp video call from within Arthur Road Jail, to Shahrukh Khan, mother Gauri

MUMBAI: As per prison rules, Aryan Khan – who is being held at the Arthur Road Jail or Mumbai Central prison on the orders of a Special NDPS court for allegedly possessing and consuming drugs, had his first e-mulakat (online meeting) also spelt as mulaqat, with his father SRK and mother Gauri Khan via a WhatsApp video call from inside the jail premises.

Prior to Covid-19, undertrials were permitted one physical mulakat or meeting with their immediate family members a week. However since Covid spread its deathly tentacles and lock downs or social distancing became the norm, the jail authorities in Maharashtra changed the mulakat rules.

Now every undertrial (those awaiting trial of their cases or bail) is permitted an e-mulakat via WhatsApp video call with his immediate family (husband/wife, brother/sister or mother/father) once a week, while convicts (those inmates convicted by a court and serving their sentences or punishment) are permitted a mulakat only once a month.

Only immediate family members can request for a mulakat or meeting. Friends, relatives, girlfriends, boyfriends, employers, job colleagues are normally not permitted meetings by the jail and in case of emergency have to seek permission of the court or the investigating officer.

In certain cases, undertrials can meet their lawyers physically in the mulakat room, which consists of two sections. The enclosed section which opens out into the jail premises and the other section which opens out to the road (or the normal world). There is a sturdy wall in between the two sections, with small windows covered by glass and steel rods. An intercom is used by the inmate to speak to his/her family member who can also be seen through the glass window.

According to sources, Aryan Khan spoke to his father and mother via the WhatsApp video call, made from the jail mobile phone. A jail official is present when the calls are made to ensure that the inmates do not share inside jail info. Inmates are not allowed to speak about conditions inside the jail or share any information that could jeopardize the security of the jail or the inmates. The WhatsApp video call is only made on the designated contact number – which the inmate has to give when he or she is brought to the jail the first time. In case the inmate is very sick or is moved to another jail, or hospitalized, or his custody taken by another law-enforcement agency for investigation, the jail authorities intimate the family of the same. Aryan Khan has given his mother’s number, it is learnt.

It is not known what exactly transpired, but SRK is said to have told his son to hang on for some time.

“It’s just a matter of time. You will be out of jail and free very soon,” SRK told his son. Aryan asked for more packaged drinking water bottles, as the bottles are out of stock at times in the jail canteen. He also told his parents that he is surviving on jail canteen biscuits, tea, milk and bananas which are given to inmates as part of the rules of the jail manual. He spoke to his family for about 10 minutes, jail sources said.