Kochi: The Ernakulam North police on Saturday registered a drug-related case against actor Shine Tom Chacko following his alleged attempt to flee during a raid at a hotel in Kochi. His arrest was recorded later.

The actor will be subjected to a medical examination to ascertain whether he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident. According to media reports, the case has been registered under Sections 27 and 29(1) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the latter being a non-bailable offence.

Shine faces charges that could attract a prison sentence ranging from six months to one year. The police suspect the actor was under the influence of narcotics and have also examined his Google Pay transactions and WhatsApp chat history as part of the ongoing investigation. 

The decision to register a case against the actor came after nearly three hours of questioning. According to police sources, Shine’s statements contained several contradictions. During the questioning, he admitted to knowing Sajeer, the middleman who was the focus of the DANSAF team’s raid at the hotel.

Earlier today, Shine Chacko appeared before the Ernakulam North Police Sub-Inspector. The questioning was conducted by a team led by the Ernakulam Central Assistant Commissioner of Police. 

The issue of drug use on cinema sets in Malayalam film industry, which had been a topic of discussion of late, resurfaced with the recent statement by actor Vincy Aloshious at a function in connection with a "No to Drugs" campaign that she will not act with people who used drugs on cinema sets.

She later posted a video on Instagram, explaining her position, saying she and her female colleague had faced inappropriate behaviour recently from a co-actor who used drugs on the sets of a movie.

Vincy said when she had a problem with her dress on the set, the co-actor told her, "I'll fix it for you," in front of everyone, creating an uncomfortable situation.

"He was also spitting a white powder from his mouth when the rehearsal for a scene was on. It was evident that he was using drug on the set," she said in the video.

Aloshious later revealed the name of the co-actor as Shine Tom Chacko in the complaint lodged with the Kerala Film Chamber.