1 week Ago By Aishwarya Nair
Alappuzha: Actor Shine Tom Chacko appeared before the Excise Department in connection with the hybrid cannabis case in Alappuzha on Monday (April 28). He arrived in Kochi by flight from Bengaluru early in the morning. Shine reached the Excise office two and a half hours earlier than requested.
He arrived at 7:30 am. Actor Sreenath Bhasi also arrived for interrogation.Shine informed the Excise officials that he was undergoing treatment at a de-addiction center in Bengaluru and requested to be sent back within an hour.
He had been issued a notice to appear for questioning at 10 am on the same day. However, when reporters asked him about his acquaintance with Thasleema, who was arrested in the cannabis case, Shine refrained from responding.The action comes after the arrest of Thasleema Sulthana, also known as Christina (43), and her associate Firoz (26), who were apprehended on April 1 at a resort near Omanappuzha beach in Alappuzha with three kilograms of hybrid ganja worth Rs 3 crore.
During their interrogation, Thasleema allegedly admitted to supplying cannabis to several individuals in the film industry, naming both actors in her statement.Following the analysis of digital evidence, including WhatsApp messages from Thasleema’s phone, the Excise Department issued notices to actors Bhasi and Chacko on April 23.Thasleema, originally from Kannur and residing in Chennai, is believed to have run a narcotics network with Firoz, catering primarily to high-profile clients in the Malayalam film industry.
Their operations were concentrated between Kochi and Alappuzha. Acting on intelligence reports, officials monitored their communications before executing the raid that led to their arrest. Thasleema's husband, Sultan Akbar Ali, was also taken into custody for his alleged involvement in the operation.
Although Sreenath Bhasi has not been named as an accused in the case, he had previously filed for anticipatory bail in the Kerala High Court, fearing arrest based on Thasleema’s allegations. However, he withdrew the petition the same day. In his bail application, Bhasi mentioned that he met Thasleema during a film shoot in Kozhikode, where she introduced herself as a fan.
He stated that Thasleema later messaged him on WhatsApp offering cannabis, but he dismissed it as a joke and did not continue the conversation..
