KOCHI: The excise commissioner has sought a report from Ernakulam excise deputy commissioner K K Anil Kumar regarding the functioning of ‘No 18 Hotel’ in Fort Kochi, which has been in the news following the death of three persons, including Miss South India Ansi Kabeer and Miss Kerala 2019 runner-up Anjana Shajan, in a car crash near Vyttila here on November 1.
Though the excise department had received a tip-off about illegal activities, including drug abuse, during night parties at the hotel several times, the sleuths never found anything during their inspections. Even in their latest raid on October 23 following a similar tip-off, the sleuths could not find any drugs.
However, they found that liquor was served till late at night in violation of norms that stipulate the bar should be closed by 9pm. After the November 1 road accident, the department suspended the bar licence of the hotel on November 2.
“The excise commissioner’s directive follows the suspension of the licence and the police finding links between the accident and the hotel. He has directed the official to check the hotel’s history and the background of its owner Roy J Vayalat. We have to check whether Roy is involved in any excise cases,” said a source.
Anil said Kochi excise CI has been tasked with collecting the information about the hotel and Roy. He said inspection of suspected night parties has been enhanced in recent weeks to prevent drug abuse.
Meanwhile, the district crime branch which has taken over the probe into the accident case has recorded the statement of around 30 persons who attended the party at Hotel No 18 on the night of October 31.