Farmer arrested for growing ganja plants in farmland near Gudiyatham in Vellore

A 62-year-old farmer was arrestedfor cultivating ganja plants in his farmland at Modikuppam village near Gudiyatham town in Vellore on Friday.

Police said that based on a tip-off to Vellore SP A. Mayilvaganan, a search was conducted. 

The police found ganja plants that had grown to a height of six feet in the farmland.

The farmer cultivated ganja plants in the middle of a banana plantation to evade surveillance by residents and police.

Police seized the  plants and arrested the farmer, who was identified as B. Kannaiyan. The farmer told police that he had been growing the plants in his farmland for the past few months.

Upon interrogation,  he said that he had been using the ganja leaves in his food as they have medicinal qualities.

The Gudiyatham Taluk police registered a case and arrested Kannaiyan, who was remanded in judicial custody after being produced before a local court in Vellore.

Initial inquiries revealed that he had been distributing the fresh ganja leaves to some of his friends, free of cost.

Kannaiyan told police that he was not aware that growing ganja in the farmland was an offence, adding that he had never sold the leaves to anyone. A probe is underway.