Not Guilty: Shine Tom Chacko Cleared in 2015 Drug Case

A court acquitted actor Shine Tom Chacko and others in a 2015 drug case, citing investigation flaws and absence of evidence. The order highlighted contradictions in witness statements and the lack of cocaine in blood samples. The accused were not linked to cocaine consumption or seizure irregularities.

A court has highlighted significant lapses in the investigation of a 2015 drug case involving actor Shine Tom Chacko and several others. The Ernakulam First Additional District and Sessions Judge, Sulekha M, acquitted Chacko along with four women this February after discovering inconsistencies in the inquiry.

Aside from Chacko, Nigerian national Okowe Chigozie Collins and Tamil Nadu native Prithvi Raj were also acquitted. The court found numerous contradictions in witness statements, and the analysis indicated no cocaine in the blood samples of the accused.

The court noted procedural flaws, including samples not being taken in the magistrate's presence. The accused could not be linked to cocaine consumption, leading to their exoneration from all charges related to the alleged cocaine seizure at a luxury flat in Kadavanthra on January 31, 2015.

(With inputs from agencies.)