Sangareddy man sentenced to 5 years in jail for cultivating ganja plants

Sangareddy: A 47-year-old man from Peddaloni village in Munipally Mandal, Sangareddy district was sentenced to five years in prison and fined Rs. 25,000 for cultivating ganja plants on his agricultural land. The sentence was handed down by the First Additional District Judge of Sangareddy on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

The accused, Mangali Venkatesham, was found guilty under Section 8(b) read with Section 20(a)(1) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Venkatesham, an agricultural worker, had planted ganja alongside his regular crops, expecting to earn a huge profit from the illegal cultivation.

Incident Details:

On November 6, 2018, excise officials received reliable information about the illegal cultivation of ganja on Venkatesham’s land. Acting on this tip-off, a raid was conducted by Prohibition and Excise officials, accompanied by panch witnesses. During the raid, the officials discovered 39 ganja plants, ranging from 4 to 5 feet in height, mixed with a cotton crop. The plants were in the flowering and fruiting stages.

The officials uprooted the ganja plants, collected samples weighing 50 grams each, and destroyed the remaining plants on-site. A case was registered under the NDPS Act, and the samples were sent for chemical analysis.

Court Ruling:

After a thorough investigation, the court found Venkatesham guilty of the offense. In addition to the five-year prison sentence, he was fined Rs. 25,000. If the fine is not paid, Venkatesham will serve an additional six months of simple imprisonment.

A man has been sentenced to five years in prison and fined Rs. 25,000 for cultivating cannabis plants on his farmland in Sangareddy district. The individual, identified as Mangali Venkatesham from Pedda village in Munipally mandal, was found growing cannabis alongside his regular… pic.twitter.com/0H0QGktQgF

— Hyderabad Mail (@Hyderabad_Mail) November 23, 2024