Ganja Addiction Costs Hyderabad Techie His Salary. He Then Grows Them At Home

An addiction so expensive that a software engineer from Hyderabad exhausted his entire month's salary on it. But this didn't deter him. He went on to grow cannabis plants at his house in Nacharam.

CH Shashidhar had secured a job at a software company, but within months, he became addicted to ganja (cannabis) and reportedly spent most of his salary on it.

"He spent almost his entire salary on drugs and eventually quit his job as he couldn't cope," an enforcement official said.

With no money left to buy drugs, Shashidhar allegedly started growing cannabis on the terrace of his house.

Acting on a tip-off, the Ranga Reddy Enforcement team, led by Circle Inspector Balaraj, raided the house in Gandhi Nagar, Nacharam, and seized 17 cannabis plants.

"Some plants had started flowering while a few had grown up to three metres. We estimate a yield of around 10 kg," Circle Inspector Balaraj said.

The accused was arrested and handed over to the Ghatkesar Excise Police for further action.

BTech Students Caught Selling Ganja

In a separate operation, the same enforcement team caught two BTech students in Medipally for allegedly selling ganja.

The accused, Bandi Arun Kumar and B Ashish, were found in possession of 480 grams of ganja.

"They were involved in small-scale supply. We have taken them into custody," an official said.

Both were also handed over to the Ghatkesar Excise Station for further legal action.

Hybrid 'OG Kush' Ganja Worth Rs 36 Lakh Seized

Excise officials seized high-value hybrid ganja, known as OG Kush, allegedly smuggled from Bangkok, during a raid in the Musheerabad area.

Acting on a tip-off about drug sales near the Venkateswara Swamy Temple locality (Namalagundu), officials caught Rahul Singh, 29, and recovered 1.311 kg of OG Kush, estimated to be worth around Rs 36 lakh.

"During questioning, the accused said the ganja was supplied by Injat Singh, who sourced it from Bangkok and passed it on for local sale," an excise official said.

A case has been registered against both Rahul Singh and Injat Singh, though only Rahul Singh has been arrested so far. Officials said Injat Singh already has multiple cases against him and is reportedly currently in jail.

Crackdown On Drug Use In Hyderabad

The cases come amid a rise in ganja seizures in Hyderabad and surrounding areas. Since the start of this year, excise officials have conducted multiple raids, arresting several suspects and seizing drugs in varying quantities, including over eight kg in one operation with seven arrests, around 10 kg in another case involving three and several other smaller seizures.

Officials say most cases involve young students or working professionals either consuming the drugs or trying to make quick money through small-scale supply.

Excise officials warned that they are stepping up raids and will take strict action against those involved in the consumption and supply of cannabis.