KOCHI: Following a tip-off, excise sleuths on Tuesday detected a ganja plant in the Kochi Metro median garden at Palarivattom. The 130-cm-tall plant was found between pillars 516 and 517 near the Palarivattom traffic signal. Since the ganja sapling stood among jasmine plants, it was pretty difficult to pick it out.
Excise inspector P Anwar Sadhath said there is a high possibility that the sapling was planted deliberately. “There are two possibilities: It could be that the person who used the ganja may have dropped the seeds. We cannot rule this out as ganja packets come with seeds, which cannot be used. There is also a chance that some drug users might have planted it. Since the gardeners water the plants, the person who planted it might have believed that it will remain undetected,” Anwar said.
The department registered a case against unknown person under Section 20 (A) of the NDPS. “An investigation is under way. We will quiz the gardeners and others staying nearby. CCTV footage from the area will be checked,” the officer said. Authorities of the private hospital in charge of maintaining the garden on the stretch said they were clueless on the new development. “It is true that we maintain the garden. We have appointed an agency for it. But, they don’t have any idea on how the ganja plant came to be there.” they said.