Two Malayalam film directors arrested for alleged possession of hybrid ganja
The directors — Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamza -- along with a third individual named Shalih Mohamad were held following a raid conducted at an apartment in Kochi in the wee hours of Sunday
Two prominent Malayalam film directors were among three persons arrested by the Excise department in Kerala early Sunday for alleged possession of hybrid ganja, a top Excise official said.
The directors — Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamza -- along with a third individual named Shalih Mohamad were held following a raid conducted at an apartment in Kochi in the wee hours of Sunday.
A tip-off led to the raid which resulted in the seizure of 1.63 grams of hybrid ganja, a bong and a grinder from the apartment, said Deputy Excise Commissioner (Ernakulam) TM Maju. Since the seizure amount was below commercial quantity, the three were released on station bail after being booked under sections 20 (B)(II)A and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985, he added.
“The raid was part of the second phase of the ongoing enforcement drive named ‘Operation Clean Slate.’ Based on a secret tip-off, we went to the said apartment and found the accused in possession of the ganja. We have secured leads about the source of the drugs and we will find them soon,” Maju said.
The Excise department, he pointed out, has also issued notice to cinematographer Sameer Thahir, the owner of the Kochi apartment, where the drugs were found. The two directors had reportedly come to the apartment for a discussion on a film project.
“We have asked him to appear for questioning. Giving space for the consumption of drugs is also an offence under the NDPS Act,” the officer said.
Khalid Rahman is the director of the newly-released ‘Alappuzha Gymkhana’, a sports comedy film, which is currently in theatres and getting rave reviews from critics. The 34-year-old director has earned praise from critics for stylised action sequences and carving out a new path of bold filmmaking through his earlier films like ‘Thallumala’, ‘Unda’ and ‘Anuraga Karikkin Vellam’. Ashraf Hamza has also drawn the spotlight in the Malayalam film industry for his films ‘Thamaasha’ and ‘Bheemante Vazhi’ which were received well by audiences and critics alike.
Sibi Malayil, the directors’ union head of Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), told local media that action would be taken against both directors for alleged involvement in drugs cases.
“Earlier, we had taken action against a make-up man too after he was caught with drugs. We will not discriminate between small and big artists. We will discuss and take action,” said Malayil. FEFKA is the apex trade union body comprising different branches of artists of the Malayalam film industry.
The arrest of Rahman and Ashraf comes just a week after actor Shine Tom Chacko was similarly arrested in a drugs case by the Ernakulam Town police. He was questioned for hours in connection with his escape from a hotel in Kochi while a drug raid was underway.
Chacko was also simultaneously accused of ‘misbehaviour’ towards a female colleague after consuming drugs on a film set. The female actor has filed formal complaints with the internal committee of the film and the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce.
Kerala has seen an implosion of drugs, particularly synthetic drugs like MDMA and methamphetamine, in recent years, with the number of NDPS cases registered per year soaring over the rest of the states in the country.
Kerala topped the country in the past three years, beating states like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. In 2024, Kerala registered 27,701 cases, compared to 9,025 cases in Punjab and 7,536 cases in Maharashtra. In 2023, Kerala had 30,715 cases compared to 11,564 in Punjab and 15,561 in Maharashtra.
In the first three months of 2025, the Kerala police, as part of its statewide operation P-Hunt, have filed 12,760 cases and seized ₹12 crore worth of drugs. The Excise department, in a parallel operation, seized ₹7.09 crore worth of drugs in March alone. Over 13,000 raids were conducted last month, and 1,316 persons arrested so far.
