Malayalam cinema actor Sreenath Bhasi has withdrawn his anticipatory bail application from the Kerala High Court on Monday, in connection with a drug case involving a woman arrested for selling cannabis in Alappuzha.
The actor had earlier approached the court fearing arrest after the Excise Enforcement and Anti-Narcotics Special Squad arrested Thasleema Sulthana on April 1 at a resort in Omanapuzha near Alappuzha for possessing hybrid cannabis meant for sale. The court proceedings saw Bhasi’s lawyer, Ajeesh Brite, request permission to withdraw the anticipatory bail plea, which the court subsequently dismissed as withdrawn.
According to the plea, Sulthana claimed to have connections with various actors in the Malayalam film industry and had allegedly sold them cannabis. The excise squad bolstered their claims against Bhasi with digital evidence from the accused’s mobile phone, indicating WhatsApp chats that purportedly linked her to the actor in cannabis transactions.
The plea detailed an encounter where Sulthana, introducing herself as Christina, acquired Bhasi’s contact through a mutual friend during a film shoot in Kozhikode in November last year. Declaring herself a fan, she contacted him the following day offering to sell cannabis, which Bhasi dismissed as a prank.
Sreenath Bhasi maintains his innocence in the allegations, stating he has never been involved in the sale of cannabis. He emphasized the impact his potential arrest could have on his ongoing film project, currently being shot in Ernakulam district, which would be forced to halt production.
