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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Minister promises action in Praveshanolsavam incident at school
A report submitted by the Deputy Director of Education (DDE), Thiruvananthapuram, on the participation of a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case accused in a school reopening event early this week has placed full responsibility for the incident on the school headmaster. Director of General Education Shanavas S. has received the report on the incident that occurred at Fort High School, West Fort, from DDE Sreeja Gopinath. In the wake of an adverse report against the school, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty said on Wednesday that appropriate action would be taken in the matter. The Minister said the school headmaster had met him and explained that an organisation that distributed school supplies to students had included POCSO case accused Mukesh M. Nair, a vlogger, in the function. However, the participation of Mukesh was a lapse on the part of the school authorities. The headmaster and the teachers could not claim they did not know the accused. No random person could be included in such events just because they were associated with a non-profit, the Minister said. 'It was wrong to involve a POCSO case accused in the school Praveshanolsavam. Such persons should not be asked to participate in any public event in a school,' Mr. Sivankutty said. The Minister had directed the Thiruvananthapuram Deputy Director of Education to conduct an urgent inquiry into the incident and submit a report.
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Hybrid ganja case: Actors Shine Tom Chacko, Sreenath Bhasi appear before Excise team for questioning
Actors Shine Tom Chacko and Sreenath Bhasi appeared before the Excise team investigating the seizure of hybrid ganja from a resort at Omanapuzha in Alappuzha for questioning on Monday (April 28, 2025) morning. Sowmya, a woman model, also appeared for questioning. Excise sleuths had seized 3 kg of hybrid ganja on April 1. It has so far arrested three persons – Thasleema Sulthana, alias Christina, her husband Sultan Akbar Ali and K. Feroze – in connection with the case. The investigation team served notices on Mr. Chacko and Mr. Bhasi last week, directing them to appear for questioning after call and message details retrieved from Thasleema's mobile phone had 'established' her links with the film stars. Investigators believe she had previously supplied drugs to the two actors. The woman model reportedly has close ties to Thasleema. According to the investigators, Sultan had brought the drug, cultivated in Bangkok in Thailand, from Malaysia for distribution in Kerala, especially in the film and tourism sectors with the help of his wife. After bringing it to Tiruchirappalli, the drug was then taken to Ernakulam before being moved to Omanapuzha with the help of Feroze, to be stored at a 'safe place' and distributed to clients. Thasleema, known for her minor roles in films and connections within the Malayalam film industry, has reportedly been involved in drug and sex trafficking, as well as racketeering, for some time – allegedly supplying drugs to 'high-end clients'. A few years ago, she was arrested in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case registered at a police station in Ernakulam. She also spent a few days in Tihar jail in 2017 in connection with a gold smuggling case. The probe in the case is being led by Excise Assistant Commissioner S. Ashok Kumar.
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- The Hindu
Hybrid ganja case in Kerala: Couple's arrest opens a pandora's box
Acting on specific intelligence, sleuths from the Excise department lay in wait near a resort at Omanapuzha in Alappuzha, Kerala, on the night of April 1. Around 10:30 p.m., a rented car carrying five individuals — including a couple and their two children — arrived at the location. Among them was Thasleema Sulthana, alias Christina, a Kerala-born woman currently residing in Chennai, who had booked a room at the resort under the pretence of being a film scriptwriter. She entered the premises carrying a bag. Moments later, officials apprehended Thasleema along with her accomplice K. Feroze, a native of Mannancherry in Alappuzha. Then came the real shocker. Inside the bag were three kilograms of hybrid ganja worth around ₹2 crore. According to officials, it was the largest haul of hybrid ganja ever seized by the Excise department in the State. While the size of the haul itself was significant, the subsequent investigation uncovered even more startling details. A week after the initial arrests, the Excise department nabbed Sultan Akbar Ali, Thasleema's husband, from Chennai. Sultan, who was present with Thasleema at the time of her arrest, was initially let off due to a lack of evidence. However, as the investigation progressed, he emerged as the prime suspect. Investigators said that Sultan had brought the drug from Bangkok in Thailand for distribution in Kerala, especially in the film and tourism sectors with the help of his wife. Sultan, who poses as an electronic gadget dealer had conducted multiple foreign trips, including to Malaysia and Singapore in recent times, some of which were undertaken with duplicate passports. Authorities believe he used the trips to smuggle gold and hybrid ganja into India. Excise department officials also indicated that the preliminary probe had also pointed to Sultan's involvement in 'hawala dealings'. Thasleema, known for her minor roles in films and connections within the Malayalam film industry, has reportedly been involved in drug and sex trafficking, as well as racketeering, for some time – allegedly supplying drugs to 'high-end clients'. 'Thasleema and her husband are involved in multiple illegal activities such as gold smuggling, operating a sex racket and ganja trade. The interrogation of the accused is ongoing. We are investigating their connections, including links to people in the film industry,' said an Excise official. The official said call and message details retrieved from Thasleema's mobile phone had 'established' her links with a couple of Malayalam film stars. 'We are in the process of corroborating the evidence and determining whether anyone else can be named as an accused in the case. It is highly likely that film stars with connections to Thasleema will be summoned for questioning,' the official added. A few years ago, Thasleema was arrested in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case registered at a police station in Ernakulam. The case involves the sexual abuse of a girl after administering drugs. She also spent a few days in jail in connection with a gold smuggling case. Meanwhile, an 'intimation' submitted by Excise sleuths probing the ganja case to top officials has suggested handing over the investigation into hawala and gold smuggling to Central agencies. 'Our assumption is that he used foreign trips to smuggle gold and hybrid ganja to India. The preliminary investigation has revealed that he carried out large money transfers. We have sent an intimation to higher authorities suggesting that gold smuggling and money transfer investigations be handed over to Central agencies, while the hybrid ganja case should continue to be probed by the Excise department,' said an Excise official. Feroze is believed to have been responsible for supplying the drugs to people in the tourism sector in Alappuzha.
