HYDERABAD: He once wrote lines of code that powered enterprise software. Today, he sits behind bars, accused of peddling the very substance that derailed his life.
Harshavardhan, known to his friends simply as Harsha, was 28 when the spiral began.
A software engineer with a steady job and a modest lifestyle, Harsha’s world turned upside down after a relationship fell apart. It was not sudden, say police, but a slow and steady drift, first into silence, then into smoke-filled corners of nightclubs and house parties, where escape came in powdered form.
On Wednesday, the Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (HNEW) arrested Harsha for allegedly selling narcotics. They seized 10 grams of cocaine, 11 ecstasy pills weighing 6 grams and several mobile phones, together valued at `3.1 lakh, from him.
“Initially, he was just a user,” said city police commissioner CV Anand. “He started with OG, moved to cocaine, and then became a peddler.”
The shift from consumer to supplier was driven not just by dependence, but also by the money and the fleeting glamour it brought.
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Procuring drugs from Bengaluru and Goa, sometimes through couriers, sometimes in person, Harsha sold them at inflated prices to clients in Hyderabad. Police said that many of these clients are regulars on the city’s party circuit.
Born and raised in Hyderabad, Harsha is the elder of two siblings. He studied engineering and secured a job in a reputed software firm -- a path that many in the city’s burgeoning tech industry would recognise. But somewhere along the way, after personal loss and without a support system, he drifted.
By the time he was caught, say police, the addiction had seeped into every part of his life. “It wasn’t just about money,” an official added. “For him, this was coping. This was routine.”
The Bollaram police have registered a case under Sections 8(c), 21(b), 22(b), and 27 of the NDPS Act. Investigations are ongoing.
“Drug use is not just a personal habit. It tears through families, friendships, and futures,” an HNEW statement said.