Kerala Police case against actor Shine Tom Chacko hit by forensic report

Kochi: The Kerala Police’s case in the high-profile narcotics probe involving actor Shine Tom Chacko has suffered a major jolt after a forensic report failed to prove that he had consumed drugs, substantially weakening the prosecution’s stand in a matter that sparked widespread debate across the state.

The forensic analysis, received on Monday morning, did not confirm drug use by the actor, running contrary to the police’s earlier claim that Shine Tom Chacko and a friend had taken narcotic substances after checking into a Kochi hotel room.

The case had snowballed into a major controversy after dramatic visuals and reports emerged of the actor allegedly fleeing the hotel room during a surprise raid by the District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF).

The incident, which occurred in April as part of the police’s Operation D-Hunt, triggered a political and social churn, fueling extensive media discussions on drug abuse within the Malayalam film industry.

Acting on a tip-off about suspected narcotics use, a DANSAF team reached a private hotel in Ernakulam North. Police later alleged that Shine Tom Chacko escaped by jumping out of a third-floor window after learning about the raid.

He was later detained and questioned by the police for several hours.

With the latest forensic report failing to support the central allegation of drug consumption, the entire case narrative constructed by the investigators has come under serious strain.

Shine Tom Chacko had previously figured in the hybrid cannabis case in Alappuzha, but the Excise Department subsequently clarified that he had no direct involvement in the seizure and was called only to explain certain financial transactions with Taslima, the arrested accused in that case.

During interrogation, the actor is learnt to have denied using hybrid cannabis, though he acknowledged past methamphetamine use and said he had voluntarily undergone treatment at a de-addiction facility, even rescheduling film shoots to continue his rehabilitation.

He was eventually admitted to a de-addiction centre under the Excise Department’s official programme.

The actor has consistently rejected allegations of any drug-related dealings with Taslima, reiterating his position during multiple rounds of questioning.

In the wake of a forensic report that does not corroborate the key accusation, the case is expected to come under sharper legal scrutiny, with pointed questions likely over possible lapses in an investigation that had drawn enormous public attention.

(Inputs from IANS)