Beauty parlour ‘drug’ case: Excise officer suspended in Kerala
THRISSUR: The state government suspended the excise officer, K Satheesan, who was in charge of the investigation in the controversial narcotics case that led to the wrongful imprisonment of a beauty parlour owner. The suspension was ordered on Sunday pending further investigation.
Additionally, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of the incident. Sheela Sunny, the owner of She Style beauty parlour in Chalakudy South, was arrested by excise officials for allegedly possessing LSD stamps. However, she was later released on bail after spending approximately 72 days in jail. The lab test results in the case were negative for drugs, and the excise officials also tried to conceal it from her.
Member V K Beenakumari of the Human Rights Commission directed the Thrissur district police chief (Rural) to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and submit a report within 15 days. The excise crime branch has already initiated its own investigation and found that the information provided was false.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the informant made an internet call and could not be traced. However, efforts are underway to locate the 20-year-old sister of Sheela’s daughter-in-law, whom she suspects to be involved in the conspiracy. An officer stated, “The excise officer received an internet call from a male voice. The search is ongoing for the suspects in the case.” When asked about the importance of test kits, the officer explained that while test kits help identify drugs, there is also a risk of error. The officer added, “The solution we use for testing the drug has a shelf life of only six months, after which it should be replaced, which is not practical.”
Excise Minister M B Rajesh spoke with Sheela over the phone and consoled her for the harrowing experience she had endured. He assured her that strict action would be taken in the case. Following this, an order was issued suspending Satheesan, the excise inspector who filed the case against Sheela. In a Facebook post, Rajesh emphasised that there would be no compromise in taking action against those responsible for the fabricated case.