HYDERABAD: Rangareddy Excise and Prohibition Department officials have booked 45 breaching cases against people involved in ganja peddling and consumption and collected about Rs 57 lakh from them in the last four years as penalty, while a total of 480 new cases were registered.
J Jeevan Kiran, Assistant Excise Superintendent, Medchal-Malkajgiri district, said, “The Excise Department officials have arrested 19 persons in breaching in 2017, 11 in 2018, five in 2019 and two in 2021. In the 45 cases, six persons were arrested thrice. Three persons who were unable to pay a penalty have experienced imprisonment for a year each.”
As per Section 110 of the CrPC, a person caught for the first time in drug activity will be produced before an executive magistrate and released on condition of paying Rs 1 lakh as penalty or after serving one year of imprisonment, if caught for the second time. The penalty will be doubled if the person is caught a third time indulging in activity, they have to pay Rs 2 lakh as penalty.
Jeevan Kiran revealed that 40 per cent among those arrested are aged below 25 and the same percentage of women as men are also involved in the activity. A total of 10 cases of ganja peddling were registered during September and October, in which 18 persons were arrested and 27.587 kg of ganja, 200 grams of hashish oil, and 12 ecstasy pills were seized. Five kilogram of ganja was seized in the last week of October, Jeevan Kiran added.
New cell to deal with smuggling
Cyberabad police has constituted a Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) enforcement cell to control drug smuggling. The special cell will closely monitor preventive strategies, identification of hotspots where ganja and other banned drugs are being sold. Speaking on it, Cyberabad Police Commissioner M Stephen Raveendra said that the cell was constructed following instructions of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. He elaborated that the police is working on preventive, detective, investigative and responsive formulas.
Man detained for growing ganja
A 52-year-old man on Sunday, November 7, 2021, was taken into custody by Jawaharnagar police for reportedly growing ganja at his residence. Circle Inspector Bikshapati said, “The accused Pillotla Venkata Narasimha Shastry was growing ganja plants at his house. He resides along with his wife in Yapral and runs a bakery for his living. We received information on Sunday and immediately reached the house. We scanned the house and found six cannabis plants on the terrace planted in the pots, approximately four-feet tall.” He was booked under the NDPS Act.