Thrissur, June 6 (IANS) Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko’s father died when a car, in which he was on the way to Bengaluru, crashed with a lorry at Dharmapuri near Salem on Friday.

The car occupants included the actor, his father, mother, brother and driver.

Chacko’s father breathed his last while he was taken to the hospital. Chacko suffered injuries to his hands.

The rest of the family and the driver are now reported to be out of danger.

The family which left from here in the wee hours was on its way to Bengaluru for the treatment of the actor, who is presently undergoing de-addiction rehabilitation.

The actor was in the news since April after he was arrested after nearly three hours of questioning under Sections 27 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

As both were bailable offences at the station level, he was released on bail, and a formal case was registered.

During interrogation, Chacko reportedly admitted to using drugs after being confronted with digital evidence, including phone records and footage of his alleged participation in rave parties around Kochi.

Following his admission, police recorded his arrest and took him for a routine medical examination.

This is not the first time Chacko has faced drug-related allegations.

In February, he was acquitted along with four women models in a 2015 cocaine use case after the prosecution failed to prove the charges.

Incidentally, during the period of Chacko’s arrest, his parents and brother were also summoned by the probe team.

They had agreed to take the actor for de-addiction treatment.

In April, Chacko was named by an arrested woman drug peddler who claimed to have supplied drugs to him and fellow actor Sreenath Bhasi

–IANS

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