The Kerala police, on Saturday, October 12, gave a clean chit to actors Sreenath Bhasi and Prayaga Martin in the drug case registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Speaking to the media, Kochi City Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladitya said, “As things stand now, there is nothing against the two. We will be questioning others also and then we will see.”
According to reports, on October 6, the police received a tip-off about a rave party, based on which they arrived at a hotel in Kundannoor of Kochi. Om Prakash, a gangster and his associate Shihas were found staying in the hotel, where they had booked three rooms under the name of Boby Chelapathy. Om Prakash is reportedly involved in 30 criminal cases, including in the 2009 murder of Paul Muthoot George, a young businessman. The police discovered a ziplock bag with a small amount of suspected cocaine and four litres of liquor.
The duo were arrested and produced before the court. The police, in their remand report, stated that they got intelligence information that the accused acquired cocaine from abroad and supplied it at DJ parties. The police also said that they got the information that 20 persons, including actors Sreenath Bhasi and Prayaga Martin visited Omprakash in the hotel.
However, the court granted bail to Om Prakash and Shihas since the cocaine was less in quantity. Meanwhile, the police started conducting an elaborate investigation into the matter, as part of which the actors were questioned on October 10. While Bhasi was quizzed for more than 10 hours, Prayaga Martin was probed for around two hours.
Earlier, in April 2023, office bearers of the Kerala Film Producers’ Association announced that they have taken a call not to include actors Shane Nigam and Sreenath Bhasi in their films, who allegedly created issues by their indulgence in drugs. The association also said that it was not a ban and any producers and filmmakers who are willing to cast the two actors may do so “at their own risk”.
A year before that, in September 2022, Bhasi was accused of verbally abusing a female reporter during an interview and arrested by the Maradu police. Shortly after this, the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) imposed a ban on the actor, which was later withdrawn.
(With IANS inputs)