Fardeen Khan was given two hard choices by the Mumbai courts with regard to his seven-year-old drug case – to serve a jail sentence for six months or go for a drug detoxification programme. And the young star chose the latter.
But the story doesn't end here; the actor has to prove to the authorities that he has admitted himself to a rehab centre and kicked the habit. But even before all this happens Fardeen has to file an appeal and pray that the court grants him his choice.
Though going to a rehab centre is a common occurrence in Hollywood, Fardeen will become the first Bollywood star to be officially sentenced to a detox programme.
Fardeen was arrested in 2001 when he was caught red-handed buying cocaine in Juhu, a Mumbai suburb. Since then, the actor has been out on bail. But things have changed since he was first charged. The court dismissed charges against him for dealing in drugs and he now faces charges only for consumption of drugs.
The whole episode has been a nightmare for the young actor. In fact, so paranoid was Fardeen about attending the hearing that he once lied to the court that he had lost his passport while travelling to the US. He thought that by doing so he could skip the court date.
The public prosecutor, however, has said that the star had been given preferential treatment in the case.
Stars and drugs
- Sanjay Dutt's father had sent him to detox at a rehab centre in Texas. After attending the programme, Dutt came back clean and took his career seriously.
- Vijay Raaz was detained in the UAE for alleged possession of drugs, when authorities found marijuana in his handbag. He was released after nine days in detention.
- Aftab Shivdasani was recently accused by the management of a Pune nightclub for doing drugs on the club premises.
- Salman Khan and Jackie Shroff too have had drug charges levelled against them in the past.
