Actor Fardeen Khan charged with attempting to buy cocaine

Mumbai, Oct 4 (IANS) A Mumbai court Tuesday found actor Fardeen Khan guilty of attempting to buy cocaine in a case dating to 2001 but dropped charges of posessing over two grams of the drug. The sentence will be pronounced Nov 2 and the actor could find himself behind bars for six months.

'Now, I have been charged only for attempting to buy cocaine. Charges pertaining to the possession of cocaine have been dropped,' Khan told reporters outside the court.

'This is something we have been appealing to the court for the last 10 years. I am extremely happy about how things are going,' he added.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had arrested Khan in Juhu in northwest Mumbai May 5, 2001 on charges of possessing cocaine. Nasir Shaikh who allegedly sold him the drug and Tony Gomes who allegedly supplied it to Shaikh were also arrested.

Charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Khan had, however, claimed that he had attempted to buy only one gram of cocaine as against NCB claim that nine grams of cocaine was found on him and Shaikh.

According to the NDPS Act, less than two gm is considered a small quantity. Under the act, an accused can, at the maximum, face a six-month jail term for possession of a small quantity of drugs.