Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko has received significant relief in a drug-related case registered against him earlier this year, after forensic examination reports confirmed that no narcotic substances were detected in his body. Police officials indicated that the findings have effectively weakened the case, making it difficult to pursue further legal action.
The case dates back to the night of April 16, when the Kochi City police’s District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) conducted a raid at a hotel in Kaloor, within the limits of the Ernakulam Town North police station. The operation was launched following specific information about a suspected drug peddler staying at the hotel. During the raid, Shine was present at the premises and fled the hotel moments after the police arrived.
CCTV footage later reviewed by investigators showed the actor escaping from his third-floor room through a window, landing on the asbestos roofing of the floor below, moving across the swimming pool area, and leaving the premises as a pillion rider on a two-wheeler. No narcotic substances were recovered from the room at the time of the raid, and the actor was not booked for possession.
Despite the absence of physical evidence, the police registered a case citing the suspicious circumstances of his flight. Investigators subsequently summoned the actor for questioning, during which biological samples, including blood, hair and nails, were collected and sent for chemical analysis to ascertain whether he had consumed any prohibited substances.
During questioning, Shine had told investigators that he fled the hotel because he feared for his safety, claiming he had mistaken the plainclothes officers for criminals. The explanation, however, was met with scepticism at the time, particularly given the manner of his escape and the broader context of public allegations about drug use in parts of the film industry.
Earlier this year, Shine and four others were acquitted by an Ernakulam sessions court in a separate drug case dating back to 2015.
