Breakthrough in Kerala beauty parlour drug case as Sheela Sunny’s relative arrested for framing her

Kochi: A Kerala woman on the run for more than a year for allegedly implicating a relative in a narcotics case was apprehended by airport authorities at Mumbai international airport on Friday after landing from the Middle East.

The woman, Liviya Jose, is related to the victim, Sheela Sunny, a beautician from Chalakudy near Thrissur. Jose is the sister of Sunny’s daughter-in-law. A lookout notice had been issued against her in connection with the case.

Beautician wrongly arrested under NDPS Act

The case dates back to February 27, 2023, when Excise officials searched Sunny’s beauty parlour and recovered alleged LSD stamps from her handbag and the storage compartment of her two-wheeler. She was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and spent 72 days in jail.

Sunny consistently maintained her innocence, bewildered by the charges. It was only after chemical analysis confirmed that the seized substances did not contain LSD that she was released from custody. By then, her career and reputation had suffered irreparably.

Tip-off that led to arrest revealed as part of conspiracy

Investigations revealed that the original tip-off to the Excise Department came from a man named Narayana Das. His arrest in April this year led to crucial breakthroughs. Police interrogation disclosed that he had acted under pressure from Liviya Jose, who had allegedly orchestrated the plot with him to frame Sunny.

Sunny had earlier told police that the day before her arrest, her daughter-in-law and her sister Liviya had visited her home, eaten food she had prepared, and briefly taken out her two-wheeler. It has since emerged that tensions existed between Sunny and her daughter-in-law, which may have motivated the conspiracy.

Case now headed to Kochi for further legal proceedings

Following her arrest, Jose is to be brought to Kochi for further legal proceedings. For Sunny, the arrest marks a significant step towards clearing her name.

Sunny is now breathing easily as she knows that her innocence will be finally proved.

IANS