KOCHI: The Kerala police on Saturday arrested two more persons in connection with the seizure of two kilograms of ganja and the arrest of three students following a raid at the men's hostel of Government Polytechnic College, Kalamassery here.
According to the police, the arrested persons, Ashique and Sharil, are former students of the institution and are suspected of supplying the contraband to the hostel.
They were taken into custody this morning after their involvement came to light through statements given by students previously arrested in the case, and their arrest was also recorded following a detailed interrogation, police said.
Five people have been arrested in connection with the incident so far, according to the police.
Thrikkakara Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) P V Baby said these two persons had provided some information regarding the ganja seized. However, he added that the police would confirm their findings only after gathering supporting evidence.
"More details cannot be disclosed at this stage since students are involved in the case," the ACP told reporters.
The preliminary investigation suggests that the arrested people supplied drugs based on demand, the officer said.
"This is the first time they allegedly brought such a large quantity of ganja to the hostel, though they had supplied smaller amounts earlier," ACP Baby stated.
Both suspects passed out from the college last year, and their role in the case will be fully established once corroborative evidence is obtained, he added.
The ACP also hinted at the involvement of more individuals and the possibility of further arrests.
The police had conducted the raid on Thursday night as part of a stringent crackdown on narcotics and arrested three students.
Two of them were released on station bail while another student, Akash M, 21, a native of Kulathupuzha in Kollam was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on Friday.
The police recovered 1.909 kg of ganja from his room.
Police seized 9.7 grams of ganja from the two students who were released on station bail --Adithyan, 20, a native of Haripad in Alappuzha, and Abhiraj R, 21, a native of Karunagappally of Kollam-- officers said.
The college authorities have suspended all three students and ordered an internal inquiry into the incident.
According to police, the contraband was intended for both sale and personal use.
The police also stated that the raid was conducted based on a tip-off about large quantities of ganja being stored on campus ahead of Holi celebrations.
The search that began on Thursday night lasted nearly seven hours and concluded at 4 am on Friday, police officials said.
The incident triggered a blame game among student outfit leaders, including those from the Kerala Students Union (KSU) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI), over the alleged involvement of their activists in the crime.