Kochi police question Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko after he fled hotel during raid

Kochi: Three days after Malayalam film actor Shine Tom Chacko scrambled from a hotel in Kochi during a surprise raid by the District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF), he appeared for questioning at the Ernakulam Town North Police Station on Saturday. The actor's 'vanishing act' in the middle of a narcotics raid triggered wide speculations, although police made it clear that they were not in pursuit. The police have not registered a case against Shine in connection with the incident. 

The cops, however, visited his house in Thrissur and served a notice for questioning after he fled from the hotel. Shine, accompanied by his lawyer and father, arrived at the station around 10 am and is being questioned by a team led by Ernakulam Central Assistant Commissioner of Police, C Jayakumar. It is learnt that the police team have prepared a detailed questionnaire based on his previous travel history and call data records. The cops need to ascertain why Shine hurriedly left the hotel room soon after the DANSAF team knocked on the door. CCTV visuals showed the actor making a clumsy exit from the hotel room during a narcotics raid conducted on the night of April 16.

While no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered so far, efforts were underway to trace his whereabouts after the incident, said Narcotics ACP Abdul Salam K A.

The actor has been embroiled in back-to-back controversies after it was revealed that Shine is the co-actor mentioned in a complaint filed by Vincy Aloshious with the Film Chamber, alleging misconduct in an intoxicated state during the shoot for the film 'Soothravakyam'. Vincy initially posted a video regarding the incident, but did not name the actor. Later, Shine’s name emerged through other sources, following which Vincy expressed disappointment, calling it a breach of trust.

The cops are being cautious in extracting information from Shine, especially after the Principal Sessions Court, Ernakulam, acquitted Shine along with seven other accused in a case registered in 2015 for sale, possession and use of cocaine. The order issued by the court in February acquitted all the accused, citing procedural flaws in police investigation and pointing out that the prosecution failed to establish the guilt of the accused. Shine was named as the third accused in the case registered by Kadavanthra police.