Rats ate ganja, Chennai police tell court; 2 accused walk free

CHENNAI: As if producing the seized bulk ganja in court almost a year after the arrest of the two accused is not detrimental enough to their case, a city Police Sub-Inspector deposed before the court that the quantity might be less than what was in the charge sheet, as rats ate some of the ganja. The special court under NDPS (Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act acquitted the duo from Visak-hapatnam, who had been under judicial custody since their arrest in November 2020.

R Rajagopal (52) and K Nageshwara Rao (38) were arrested by the Marina Police on November 27, 2020, for possession of 22 kg of ganja after apprehending them in the Mattankuppam area off Marina Beach. The counsels for the accused picked holes in the prosecution’s case, including the absence of an independent witness despite the arrest near “crowded” Marina Beach. However, what probably boosted the defence counsel’s case was a city policeman’s egregious deposition.

After the arrest, the samples (100 grams) were produced before the court after a lapse of 45 days on January 1, 2021. While 50 grams were sent for chemical analysis, 50 grams were kept in court custody. The remaining bulk ganja (21.9 kg) was returned to police for safe custody.

Principal Special Judge C Thirumagal noted that the prosecution did not file any plea for destruction of bulk contraband. Sub-Inspector Ramesh Babu, who made the arrest, produced the bulk contraband before the court after 11 months without a label which was on the parcel at the time of seizure. “The label was lost in transit as the police station was shifted. Since it was an old station, rats had bitten off the bulk parcel. The weight is likely to be less now,” Sub Inspector Ramesh Babu deposed in court.

After perusing all the submissions, the court held that the prosecution had miserably failed to prove that the accused were in illegal possession of 22 kg of ganja for selling and held the duo from Andhra Pradesh not guilty and acquitted them.

For Chennai police, ‘rats ate the ganja’ seems to be the party line. In a similar gaffe in August last year, the court had acquitted three women arrested by CMBT police for alleged possession of 30 kg ganja in 2018. When produced during the trial, there was only 11 kg.

“Since the station was in a dilapidated state, ganja might have been eaten by rats,” CMBT police had informed the court.