FEFKA Suspends Directors Khalid Rahman And Ashraf Hamza Following Their Arrest In Drug Case

In the wee hours of April 27, the excise department conducted a surprise raid in which two filmmakers, Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamza, along with their friend Shalif Muhammad, were nabbed. The trio was found in possession of a hybrid ganja and was taken into custody from a rented flat in Kochi, Kerala. This comes amid the growing concerns of drug abuse on movie sets in the Malayalam film industry. While the filmmakers were released on bail, a few hours after their arrest, the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) has decided to suspend the duo, sending a stringent message of no tolerance.

President of FEFKA, Sibi Malayil, confirmed the suspension of the directors in a statement given to Onmanorama. He said, “Given the increase in drug abuse inside the industry, we have decided to take strict action. The directors will be handed suspensions in connection with the case."

Also Read: Director Khalid Rahman Arrested For Possession Of Hybrid Ganja

The FEFKA president also shared that the film body has been coming down heavy on the use of drugs on film sets. He added, “A makeup artist who was caught using drugs was earlier suspended by the makeup artists' union under FEFKA’s guidance. Similarly, FEFKA has instructed the directors' union to take action against these two directors.” He also assured full cooperation of the members of FEFKA in the ongoing investigation.

Also Read: Drugs Row: Chacko Gets Ultimatum From FEFKA, 'His Last Opportunity' 

The raid by the excise officials was conducted on the basis of a tip-off. When the officials arrived at the apartment, rented by cinematographer Sameer Thahir, they found the accused trio along with a hybrid ganja. Speaking to the publication, the officials shared, “We took the three into custody from a flat in Kochi and seized the hybrid ganja. A case is registered against them under sections 20(b) (II) A and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985." However, since the seized ganja was only 1.6 gm, the trio was released on bail while an investigation has been launched to find the origin of the ganja.

Also Read: Police Finds Chacko's Confession About Drug Raid 'Unsatisfactory'

The drug raid on the directors comes days after Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko fled his hotel room during a drug search. He was later arrested and released on bail after several complaints of his drug use on a film set. The matter first came to light when actress Vincy Aloshious exposed the blatant use of drugs in the Malayalam film industry.