Kochi City police to step up vigil around apartment complexes following high-profile drug bust cases

The Hindu

30-04-2025

The Kochi City police are set to step up vigilance around apartment complexes in the wake of two high-profile incidents, in which two prominent Malayalam film directors and a rapper were nabbed with suspected ganja from two different apartments in the city on successive days earlier this week.
In the first incident, directors Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamsa were nabbed by the Excise department, allegedly with 1.50 grams of suspected hybrid ganja in an apartment at Marine Drive during a pre-dawn raid on Sunday (April 27, 2025). The very next day, popular rapper Vedan (Hirandas Murali) and eight others were allegedly caught smoking suspected ganja, while another 6 grams of suspected ganja were seized from his apartment along the Vyttila-Kaniyambuzha road. In both cases, the accused were released on bail since the quantity seized from them was small.
'Since Kochi is home to a large floating population, many apartment associations are clueless about the tenants. Around two months ago, we provided office-bearers of apartment complexes with a pro forma for collecting the details of residents, including tenants. We will review its progress at our next interactive meeting and ensure its widespread implementation. Besides, residents have been asked to ensure that police verification certificates are obtained before engaging employees,' said Putta Vimaladitya, District Police Chief (Kochi City).
The Kochi City police had shared a number for contacting the Kochi Commissionerate to pass on tip-offs confidentially. The police had been receiving considerable information through the number, he said.
After being dormant for years, the monthly meeting of the Police Residents Initiative in Ernakulam District (PRIDE), a common platform for interaction between the police and representatives of residents' associations, was resumed last year. This was in addition to meetings between police officials and residents' associations under the Janamaithri Suraksha Project.
V.S. Somanathan of the All Kerala Flat Owners' Association said that the long-standing demand to implement common guidelines for apartment associations had gone unheeded. This, he said, would help avert disputes involving tenants, their guests, and association staff.
'There is no real gatekeeping, as in many apartment complexes, tenants befriend the security guards with cash and alcohol so that they go easy on the visitors and their activities,' he said. Mr. Somanathan also urged apartment owners to be more cautious and not rent out their apartments to the highest bidder.
Meanwhile, the Ernakulam District Residents' Associations' Apex Council (EDRAAC) has written to the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court for better coordination among law enforcement agencies in fighting the drug menace.