Police postpone interrogation of actor Shine Tom Chacko in drug case

Kochi: Police have postponed the interrogation of Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko in connection with an alleged drug use case. Despite having issued a notice for him to appear on Monday, authorities have decided that his presence is not required at this stage of the investigation.

Chacko, who was arrested on Saturday and later released on bail, had initially been instructed to report to the police team on April 21. However, a senior police officer confirmed on Sunday that the actor was informed that his presence was not required at this stage of the probe.

Kochi City Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladitya has scheduled a meeting with Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) on Monday to review the investigation, with further decisions regarding Chacko's interrogation to be made following the meeting.

Chacko's arrest came after a nearly four-hour-long interrogation concerning an incident during a narcotics raid at a hotel in Kochi, where he was allegedly seen fleeing the scene. He was charged under Section 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to causing the disappearance of evidence, and under Sections 27 (drug consumption) and 29 (abetment and criminal conspiracy) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The FIR names Chacko as the first accused, with Ahmed Murshad from Malappuram listed as the second accused. According to the FIR, a District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF) team discovered the two men using drugs and engaging in a criminal conspiracy in Room No. 314 of a hotel near Kaloor on Wednesday night. Upon noticing the police, Chacko allegedly fled through a window, attempting to destroy evidence. The actor reportedly admitted to drug use during questioning.

Chacko's escape involved jumping onto a sheet covering the second floor, from where he used the staircase to exit the building. He appeared at the Ernakulam North Police Station on Saturday after receiving a formal notice for questioning. Notably, Chacko was acquitted in a 2015 drug case by the Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court, which cited procedural lapses during the police seizure and arrest.

With PTI inputs