SIVAGANGA: Police have arrested five persons including a minor for planting ganja and banned tobacco products near a shop to implicate the shopowner in Sivaganga.
Police said Rajkumar, a Thirukallapatti villager, had played a role in the closure of a bar, leading to a tussle between him and the bar owner, Periya Chokkanathan (27). To implicate him, Chokkanathan, along with Rajapandi (65) and a 17-year-old juvenile, planted 5 gm of ganja and 750 gm of banned tobacco products near his shop.
They then alerted the PEW police. The police team seized the items and inquired with Rajkumar. However, Rajkumar maintained that he was unaware of the products and said he had CCTV footage to prove his innocence. He later lodged a complaint with SP Abishek Gupta on Friday, raising suspicions over the seizure incident.
However, police later clarified that no role of the PEW personnel. Apart from Chokkanathan and Rajapandi, police also arrested the alleged suppliers, Sundar (19) and Jayamoorthy (65). The fifth accused, the juvenile, was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and sent to an Observation Home.
