MYSURU: In a shocking expose in the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s hometown, the city’s drug menace is spiralling out of control even as police maintain round-the-clock area domination patrolling and heightened surveillance. ‘Mysuru Mango’, ‘Mysuru Kush’ -- local slangs given for popular ganja variants available in the city are now openly used among young consumers and peddlers.
A week after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah publicly vowed to make Mysuru a drug-free city, the ground reality paints a grim and disturbing picture. What is even more alarming is the profile of the buyers. Students aged 18 to 20 years are reportedly travelling from Ramanagara, Hassan and even Kerala, specifically to source these Mysuru-branded ganja varieties, who have been detained while purchasing them in the city or consuming them and getting caught during the surveillance.
“We detained two youths from Ramanagara who were just 18 to 19-year-olds and another youth from Hassan who was 19-year-old during patrolling. On suspicion of them consuming ganja, we conducted a test which came positive, following which an FIR was registered,” said a police officer attached to Mandi police station who recalled instances reported during night patrolling in the last one week.
Peddlers proudly project Mysuru as a quality hub, attracting young buyers who see these variants as premium products, an indicator of just how dangerously glorified the city’s narcotics market has become.
Despite increased checks, special drives and sustained foot patrols, the demand continues unabated. While City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar and the DCPs are personally hitting the streets along with police inspectors and PSIs, the larger network especially involves students who are becoming small-time peddlers swiftly changing locations and delivery routes.
Messaging apps, closed online groups and discreet delivery points, including pan and tea shops, have turned the trade into an elusive operation. A senior cop admitted that the situation is more layered than it appears. The last three-year data of action taken against narcotics in Mysuru city alone reveals the dark side of the growing demand.