FEFKA alleges criminal conspiracy behind Excise raid in hotel room of director

The Film Employees’ Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) has dubbed the Excise raid in writer-director Najeem Koya’s hotel room at Erattupetta on Monday night as an attempt to frame him by vested interests and demanded a probe into the alleged criminal conspiracy behind feeding ‘fake’ tip-off to the agency.

Addressing the media here on Thursday, FEFKA general secretary B. Unnikrishnan said the ‘sources’ that fed the tip-off to the Excise team from Thiruvananthapuram would have tried to plant ‘stuff’ in the hotel room that was easily accessible to trap Mr. Koya. The authenticity of those sources should come under the purview of any probe in this connection for which FEFKA would resort to all legal measures and even launch a protest, if that is needed. There is no compromise on that, said Mr. Unnikrishnan.

“It was a meticulous raid carried out by the most decorated team of the Excise intelligence wing with a 100% strike rate. As a responsible organisation we don’t question the bonafide raid carried out by the agency. But now that nothing has been recovered in that raid, the agency must make it clear what they are going to do about those who fed them misleading information,” he said.

FEFKA has lodged a petition with the Excise Minister and the Chief Minister. Mr. Unnikrishnan said the Excise Minister had sought detailed information on the raid and promised a probe by the crime wing of the Excise. He was also critical of the allegedly arrogant and aggressive behaviour of the Excise sleuths who carried out the raid.

Mr. Koya who was also present at the press meet said his room was rummaged for over two hours with the officials seemingly convinced that there were drugs hidden in the room. He said the officials could not even find an ashtray, cigarette bud, or an empty liquor bottle from the room.

“I don’t even drink or smoke. So, I was confident that I have nothing to fear about. All I was concerned was whether someone would plant anything to trap me. Hence, I was running after the officials like a mad person,” he said.

Mr. Unnikrishnan sarcastically observed that while all the talk about drugs in the film industry had so far been around actors, it was a director who was now being targeted.