The Malayalam film industry has come under fresh scrutiny as several of its members find themselves entangled in narcotics-related cases. Among the latest to be booked are noted directors Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamza, alongside rapper Vedan (real name Hirandas Murali), who was initially taken into custody for cannabis possession but was later booked for wearing a leopard tooth pendant. He is currently in the custody of the Forest Department, which has now initiated a wildlife offence investigation under the Wildlife Protection Act.

The arrests have sparked widespread debate on social media, with supporters and critics of the accused clashing online. Filmmaker Jude Anthany Joseph has strongly condemned those defending individuals caught in such cases.

Expresses Disapproval

In a Facebook post, Jude wrote that while justification and sympathy may be freely offered, substance abuse has destroyed countless lives. He urged supporters of the accused to compare statistics from a decade ago with the current number of de-addiction centres in Kerala to understand the severity of the issue.

"If you give it up, life becomes better — that’s all there is to say," he remarked.

Meanwhile, musician Shahabaz Aman came out in support of Vedan, who remains in Forest Department custody over the leopard tooth pendant.

"We need Vedan here," Shahabaz wrote in a public statement.

The police seized six grams of cannabis and ₹9.5 lakh in cash during a raid on the flat where Vedan and his friends were staying earlier this week. While Vedan secured bail in the drug case, the subsequent discovery of the leopard tooth in his necklace led to a separate case being registered by the Forest and Wildlife Department, resulting in his overnight arrest.