Kochi: The Ernakulam North police on Saturday registered a drug-related case against actor Shine Tom Chacko following his alleged attempt to flee during a raid at a hotel in Kochi. His arrest was recorded later. The actor will be subjected to a medical examination to ascertain whether he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident.
According to media reports, the case has been registered under Sections 27 and 29(1) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the latter being a non-bailable offence. Shine faces charges that could attract a prison sentence ranging from six months to one year. The police suspect the actor was under the influence of narcotics and have also examined his Google Pay transactions and WhatsApp chat history as part of the ongoing investigation.
The decision to register a case against the actor came after nearly three hours of questioning. According to police sources, Shine’s statements contained several contradictions. During the questioning, he admitted to knowing Sajeer, the middleman who was the focus of the District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF) team’s raid at the hotel.
Earlier on April 19, 2025, Shine Chacko appeared before the Ernakulam North Police Sub-Inspector. The questioning was conducted by a team led by the Ernakulam Central Assistant Commissioner of Police. The issue of drug use on cinema sets in the Malayalam film industry, which had been a topic of discussion of late, resurfaced with the recent statement by actor Vincy Aloshious at a function in connection with a "No to Drugs" campaign that she will not act with people who used drugs on cinema sets.
She later posted a video on Instagram, explaining her position, saying she and her female colleague had faced inappropriate behaviour recently from a co-actor who used drugs on the sets of a movie. Vincy said when she had a problem with her dress on the set, the co-actor told her, "I'll fix it for you," in front of everyone, creating an uncomfortable situation. "He was also spitting a white powder from his mouth when the rehearsal for a scene was on. It was evident that he was using drugs on the set," she said in the video. Aloshious later revealed the name of the co-actor as Shine Tom Chacko in the complaint lodged with the Kerala Film Chamber.
According to sources, call data records revealed regular communication between Shine and Sajeer, contradicting the actor’s initial claims. Shine Tom Chacko was arrested in Kochi, Kerala, after he reported at the North Police Station for questioning in a narcotics-related case on Saturday, 19 April 2025. The police had served him a summons for questioning in connection with his escape from a hotel when the DANSAF knocked at the door of his room, 314 of Hotel PGS Vedanta at Kaloor.
The actor has been booked under sections 27 (consumption of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances) and 29 (abetment and criminal conspiracy) of the NDPS Act. The police took him to the District General Hospital, Ernakulam, for the mandatory medical examination. The actor arrived at the station around 10 am, half an hour earlier than 10:30 am. Avoiding the media, Shine went directly inside the station.
Shine reportedly told the police that he fled the hotel room after mistaking the “strangers” for a gang of goons. Though the actor denied any drug links, the police confronted him with digital evidence — phone and bank transaction records — to show his alleged connection with a Fort Kochi-based drug peddler, Sajeer. According to sources, the police might move to collect Shine’s hair strands and nails for a drug test, after he refused to cooperate with the examination.
The inspection on the Kochi hotel took place on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. On seeing the DANSAF team through the door peephole, the actor escaped through the window of the third-floor room, jumped on to a roof below, and leapt into a swimming pool before hurrying down the stairs and running across the lobby to the road.
The police were searching for Sajeer in the hotel. However, on noticing Shine’s name in the register, the team went to the actor’s room. The actor came into the police radar after Vincy Aloshious spoke about being mistreated by him on a film set. While speaking of the same, Vincy had also claimed that Shine Tom Chacko was under the influence of drugs. She added, "When we were practising a scene, he was spitting some kind of white powder onto the table. It was very evident that he was using drugs on the film set." However, she had later decided to withdraw her complaint against co-actor Shine Tom Chacko, citing a “breach of trust.” Vincy had requested confidentiality to the Film Chamber but was disheartened when the actor’s name became public, especially after Shine was linked to a drug raid at a Kochi hotel, though no drugs were found.
Expressing her disappointment, Vincy said the issue should not affect the film or the actor’s career, emphasising the need to support talent and allow space for correction. The controversy surrounding Shine Tom Chacko has raised serious concerns about drug use within the Malayalam film industry, prompting calls for stricter measures to combat substance abuse.
