At least three Malayalam entertainment industry personnel, including two film directors, have been apprehended in connection with use and possession of drugs following actor Shine Tom Chacko’s arrest on April 21, with many seeing the trend as a planned crackdown on illegal substance use in the film circuit.
The latest in the series of arrests was that of rapper Vedan on Monday. Hirandas Murali, popularly known by his stage name Rapper Vedan, was arrested by the Hill Palace police in Kochi on Monday for allegedly possessing six grams of marijuana.
Besides the marijuana, police recovered Rs 9.5 lakh in cash and several mobile phones from Vedan’s Swas Flat residence in Kaniyampuzha, Tripunithura, Kochi. However, what may land him in a longer legal trouble is a tiger tooth recovered from his residence, as per reports.
“After a six-hour procedure, we escorted Vedan and the others out of the flat, conducted medical examinations at a hospital, and released them on station bail,” L Yesudas, the station house officer of Hill Palace, told local reporters.
Hours before Vedan’s arrest, filmmakers Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamza were arrested by Kochi police on Sunday with 1.63 grams of hybrid cannabis.
The cannabis, according to reports, was smuggled into Kerala from Malaysia and Thailand. The director duo were taken into custody from a flat in Kochi on Sunday. Subsequently, the two were granted station bail, as the amount of drugs seized was not of commercial quantity.
The two filmmakers were suspended by the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) shortly after their arrest.
T.M. Maju, the excise deputy commissioner of Kochi, said that a special initiative to combat drug abuse within the film industry commenced on April 21 after Chacko’s arrest.
“We acted upon secret information. Shalif Muhammed, who supplied the hybrid cannabis to the film professionals, works in Australia. He had procured the substance from another person, whom we have identified, but has yet to be tracked down. Hybrid ganja comes from Thailand and Malaysia to Kerala. The exact route of this supply will be known only after arresting the next person down in the network,” Maju told The Indian Express.
Cinematographer and director Sameer Thahir will also be questioned in connection with the drug case since the apartment from which the hybrid cannabis was seized reportedly belonged to him.
The crackdown began with Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko’s arrest on April 21 after he attempted to flee an anti-drug raid at a hotel.
It was actress Vincy Aloshious’ statement that first brought to light drug use in the entertainment industry earlier this month. She accused Chacko of misbehaving with her on set while under the influence of drugs.
During police interrogation, Chacko admitted to having earlier consumed Methamphetamine and Cannabis. The actor has also apologised to Vincy over his ‘inappropriate’ behaviour. The actress later withdrew the complaint against Chacko.
FEFKA said Chacko, accused by actress Vincy Aloshious of misbehaving with her under the influence of drugs, has been given one last chance to correct his behaviour, failing which it would be difficult to continue working with him.