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Karnataka: 5 MBBS students held for growing, selling marijuana
The Shivamogga rural police raided two residences and arrested five MBBS students of a private college in the city for growing and selling marijuana at home
The police on Saturday arrested five MBBS students on charges of growing and selling marijuana at home in Shivamogga City on Saturday. According to officials, acting on a tip off the police team raided a house and arrested the two accused and then raided another place and arrested three more people.
The arrested are identified as Vighnaraj (28) of Tamil Nadu, Vinod Kumar (27) of Idukki district in Kerala, Pandidorai(27) of Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu, Abdul Khayyam(25) of Vijayapura district and Arpita (24) of Kottur in Vijayanagar district, all studying final year MBBS in a private college in the city. The Shivamogga rural police raided a house which belonged to Abdul Khayyum and Arpitha in old Gurupura and recovered 460 grams of dry marijuana worth over ₹20,000. Besides, drugs like Tokram Agro, Tokram Micro, Tokram Call Marg etc. were found in possession of the accused.
Police said Abdul stayed on the second floor of the house and dropped marijuana packets to customers after collecting money online. Upon interrogation the accused revealed names of other accused who supply drugs to them. Police raided another house in Shivaganga layout in the city and arrested the three accused.
Police said, the arrested accused Vighnaraj, was growing marijuana by creating artificial sunlight using special bulbs in the room of his house. He collected details of cannabis cultivation through internet and bought seeds online. Police recovered ₹5,800 worth of dry marijuana, 1.53 kg of wet marijuana worth ₹30,000, 10 grams of charas, ganja seeds, ganja oil, ganja powder, electronic weighing machine, exhaust fan, six table fans, rolling papers, two stabilizers, LED lights and ₹19,000 narcotic drugs and psychotropic.
‘’All the accused were involved in the marijuana trade since several months. They were selling it online to the other students at the medical college,” Shivamogga SP GK Mithun Kumar told HT. He said the accused made special arrangement to grow marijuana and were drying it using fans. Shivamogga rural police has registered a case under Narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances Act 1985 and are further investigating the case, he added.
