No evidence of drug use: Forensic report clears Shine Tom Chacko in Kochi hotel raid case; police may drop charges

Kochi: In a significant development regarding the drug case involving Shine Tom Chacko, following a controversial hotel raid in Kochi, a forensic report has concluded that there is no evidence to prove the actor had consumed illegal drugs. The findings come as a major setback to the police, and they are likely to drop charges against the actor.

The forensic examination was ordered following an incident in April where police alleged the actor was using drugs in a private hotel room in Kaloor. However, the scientific analysis of the samples has returned negative for narcotic substances, dismantling the primary accusation levelled against the actor by the investigation team.

“The chemical analysis results of Shine’s blood and samples from the State Forensic Science Laboratory stated that no traces of drug use were found. So we might drop the charges against him,” said a source at Ernakulam North Police, which had earlier booked him under Section 27 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The case stems from a dramatic episode that occurred on the night of April 16 as part of a raid conducted by Kochi City Police under 'Operation D-Hunt,' an initiative targeting drug abuse. Acting on a tip-off that a drug peddler was staying at a hotel in Kaloor, a District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF) team raided the hotel. 

Later they came to know that Shine Tom Chacko and a friend were allegedly using drugs in the same hotel. At that time, police officials claimed that upon realising the police had arrived at the lobby, the actor attempted to evade custody by fleeing through a window from his third-floor room. The visuals of the 'escape' had triggered widespread media attention and reinforced suspicions regarding drugs.

A few days later, Shine appeared before the questioning and said that he ran away fearing that the cops were “goons” who came to attack him. Later the police took the blood and other samples from him for chemical analysis.

The negative forensic report significantly weakens the police's narrative. While the police maintained that the actor's erratic behaviour and alleged flight were indicative of drug influence, the lack of forensic evidence leaves the investigation with little ground to stand on. With the latest forensic report clearing him of drug use in the hotel incident, police sources said it will be difficult for them to proceed with narcotics-related charges in this specific case.

This is not the first time Shine Tom Chacko has faced scrutiny regarding narcotics. He was previously questioned in connection with a hybrid ganja case in Alappuzha involving a woman named Taslima. However, the Excise Department had cleared him in that instance as well, stating there was no evidence linking him to the seizure.

During previous interrogations, the actor had reportedly admitted to using methamphetamine in the past but denied using hybrid ganja. He had also informed officials that he was voluntarily undergoing treatment at a de-addiction centre and had paused his filming schedules to focus on his recovery.