Activist alleges MLA’s hand in ganja case, gets bail

While the senior citizen from RK Nagar has been arrested for allegedly possessing 2.1 kg of ganja, he claims that the ruling party MLA in a bid to usurp 250 acres offered to 4000 members of a welfare association has got the police to put him behind bars. 

However, a special court under the Essential Commodities and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (EC&NDPS) Act, while rejecting his bail plea on the basis that the investigation is at the initial stage, directed the Commissioner of Police to nominate ‘an officer with integrity’ to enquire about the case and submit a report to the court. 

The matter came to light when Vedagan, who was arrested on April 19, 2017 moved the court seeking bail. Though the bail plea had come up thrice before the Principal Special Judge for EC and NDPS Act, the plea was adjourned as the police had failed to give instructions to the special public prosecutor about the case. But when the bail plea came up last on May 5, 2017, the special Public prosecutor yet again sought time to get instructions and objected bail to Vedagan.

Following this, Vedagan’s counsel told the court that the case is a false one instigated at the instance o f the ruling party MLA who tried to grab the 250 acres worth about Rs 1000 crore, which was allotted to 4000 members of the Association. Since the property was not handed over properly by the Government, the petitioner filed cases before the High Court and obtained a favourable order. 

But the ruling party MLA threatened the petitioner to release all the lands belonging to the Association members, which was refused by the petitioner. Thereafter, on compulsion of the MLA and rowdy elements a false case of possessing Ganja was foisted against the petitioner, who has been living in RK Nagar for the past 50 years. Incidentally, though the NDPS court had refused to grant him bail, he moved the Madras High Court recently and obtained bail.