Seshadripuram police conducts raids in Bidar and Kalaburagi; 1,352 kg ganja seized

Taking the fight against drug abuse to a next level the city police have conducted raids in the city, Bidar and Kalaburagi districts, arrested four persons, and have seized around 1352 kg ganja stored in the underground of a sheep farmhouse.

The arrested have been identified as Jnanashekar, 37, a resident of Gayatrinagar, autorickshaw driver by profession, Siddunath Lavate, 22, of Sindagi taluk in Vijayapura district, Naganath, 39, of Aurad of Bidar district, and Chandrakanth, 34, of Kalagi in Kalaburagi.

How the racket was busted:

On August, 30, police inspector of Seshadripuram police station caught Jnanashekar when he was trying to sell the ganja in a ground near Om Shakthi temple in VV Giri colony. They had seized 2.1 kg ganja and autorickshaw bearing registration number KA-02-AC-3989 from him. During interrogation Jnanashekar confessed to police that he was purchasing ganja from a peddler identified as Siddunath Lavate. On September 6, based on credible information police zeroed down on Lavate near Madanayakanahalli in Bengaluru rural. They found 200 gram ganja with Lavate.

When subjected to questions, Lavate for interrogation he confessed to purchasing ganja from peddlers Chandrakanth and his associate Naganath. He had stored around 150 kg of ganja in a place near Kamalapur on NH 50, police took him to the spot and seized the ganja.

Special team formed to nab the main accused:

A special team was formed to nab the main peddlers Naganath and Chandrakanth. After watching the movements of the duo the police zeroed down on them on the same day near toll plaza in Kalaburagi district. The duo confessed to having stored ganja in a sheep farm. The police took the duo to a sheep farm in Lacchu Nayak Tanda in Kalagi of Kalaburagi belonging to Chandrakanth. Police didn't find sheep in the farmhouse, they didn't find the ganja as well. The officials again grilled Chandrakanth, he showed them the spot. Police removed the mud on the floor to find a lid connecting to underground. The underground was around five feet deep and 10 feet wide. The police found ganja packets stored underground. They recovered around 1200 kg of ganja from there.

Source of ganja:

The police in total seized 1352 kg ganja from the four accused persons. When Chandrakanth and Naganath were subjected for more interrogation they confessed to have sourced it from Odisha. The peddlers used to transport the ganja to Telangana's vegetable market. In guise of transporting vegetables the accused persons brought the ganja to Kalaburagi and stored it in a sheep farm, from there they distributed it to the peddlers of Mumbai and various places of Karnataka.

Background of accused:

Jnanashekar, is an autorickshaw driver by profession.

Siddunath Lavate, studied till 10th standard and owns around 30 acres of land in his native.

Naganath, studied till 10th standard and is into garments and finance business. Faced loss in the business after lockdown over covid and hence got into drug peddling.

Chandrakanth studied till 7th standard and is a farmer in his native. He was also into sheep farming, he was into drug peddling for the last five years and sourced ganja from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.