Shine Tom, four others get conditional bail in cocaine case

Kochi: The High Court Monday granted conditional bail to Malayalam film actor Shine Tom Chacko and four women who were arrested here for allegedly possessing narcotics.

The bail was granted by Justice B Kemal Pasha considering the fact that the charge-sheet has been filed against the five accused in the case in a lower court.

While granting bail after considering fresh pleas moved by the actor and four women-- Reshma Rangaswamy, Blessy Sylvester, Tincy Babu, and Sneha Babu--the court put conditions that the accused shall appear before the investigating officer once a week and directed them to surrender their passports.

The judge also asked Reshma Rangaswamy not to leave Ernakulam district without the court's consent.

The case pertains to the seizure of cocaine and the arrest of five, including Chacko, on January 31 from a posh flat in Kadavanthra here.

Earlier, when the bail plea was considered by the High Court on March 10, the government had opposed it, saying international drug mafia was behind the drug trafficking and they were making Kochi their hub.

Shine Tom and the four women were arrested from the flat linked with controversial businessman Mohammad Nisham who was arrested from Thrissur earlier on the charge of killing a security guard by deliberately ramming him with his car.

Kerala police have questioned Nigerian national Okowe Chigozie Collins, who was arrested in Goa early this month, for allegedly supplying cocaine to the 'smoke party' involving the actor and four women.