One held for cultivating cannabis on ‘FRA land’

Police officials examine the cannabis plants seized from a cotton field in Neradigonda mandal of Adilabad district on Wednesday.

The Nerandigonda police in Adilabad district on Wednesday seized around 125 cannabis (ganja) plants allegedly grown as an intercrop among cotton plants at Boragaon village and arrested a 33-year-old man.

The accused, Ade Kapil, allegedly cultivated the banned crop on 3.7 acres of land. The title deed for the land is in the name of his wife under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), police said.

According to the police, the accused admitted to growing cannabis without his wife’s knowledge to make quick money as the income from the farm was insufficient to support his family.

The police registered a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and launched an investigation.