KOCHI: Two days after allegedly fleeing the scene during a narcotics raid at a Kochi hotel, actor Shine Tom Chacko was on Saturday arrested and released on bail. The arrest followed nearly four-hour-long interrogation.
According to police, interrogation revealed that Shine had “used narcotic substances on several occasions”. He has been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for consumption of narcotic drugs, abetment, and criminal conspiracy.
According to the FIR, Shine and his friend, Ahmed Murshad, may have stayed at the hotel as part of a conspiracy involving drug use or possession. Shine has also been accused of attempting to destroy evidence. After his arrest, Shine underwent a medical examination at the General Hospital in Ernakulam, where samples of his hair and nail were collected for scientific testing to determine possible drug use. He was later released on conditional station bail.
“We questioned him thoroughly about the incident and his possible links to narcotics trafficking networks. We strongly believe he fled the hotel room to evade arrest and destroy evidence,” said a top officer with the Kochi city police, who chose to remain anonymous.
“The actor has been granted bail for now, but he will be summoned again for further questioning in the coming days,” he added. K A Abdul Salam, assistant commissioner of the Kochi city narcotics cell, said though the interrogation began with denials, Shine eventually admitted to using drugs after being confronted with evidence.
The police had initially summoned the actor to appear at 10.30 am, but he arrived at the Ernakulam Town North police station by 10 am, accompanied by his lawyers.
“Despite arriving ahead of schedule, apparently confident, Shine grew visibly frustrated during the interrogation and eventually broke down under questioning,” said Salam. “Initially, he denied using drugs and provided multiple false narratives,” he said.
‘Shine confessed to procuring narcotics from various sources’
“When questioned about financial transactions via UPI apps, he claimed they involved money he had lent to companions. However, he couldn’t withstand the officers’ cross-questioning and eventually admitted the truth,” the officer said.
Shine reportedly confessed to have used methamphetamine and cannabis for long, and revealed that he had once joined a de-addiction programme which he didn’t complete. “He also admitted to procuring narcotic substances from various sources, often through middlemen, and having contact with Thasleema, a key accused in a major drug trafficking case in Alappuzha,” said Salam.
Shine’s associate, makeup artist Ahmed Murshad, was booked and arrested in connection with the case.
During interrogation, Shine claimed he fled the hotel room during the narcotics raid because he mistook the police for individuals intending to harm him. The police obtained Shine’s phone records and hair samples which were sent to the forensic lab for analysis. Further action will be taken based on the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report. The actor was interrogated in the presence of three assistant commissioners.