Marijuana or ganja is illegal in India, and its possession or cultivation is punishable by law. All Indians know it and adhere to the laws. But a couple in Bengaluru posted videos of their balcony garden on Facebook, following which they found themselves in legal trouble.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the plant featured in their Facebook videos was identified as ganja.
The report further stated that the couple—Sagar Gurung, 37, and his wife Urmila Kumari, 38—are from Namchi in Sikkim and have been living in the MSR Nagar area of Sadashivanagar for two years. Sagar runs a local eatery, while Urmila—a homemaker—recently became more active on social media.
Urmila's latest post showing their horticultural efforts quickly turned into a criminal investigation when one of the plants shown in the video was identified as ganja by her followers. The follower alerted the police, who immediately raided the couple's residence on November 5.
When the police arrived, they faced resistance as the couple denied any wrongdoing. During the probe, the police discovered that two flower pots appeared hastily emptied before the authorities arrived.
The Time of India reported that a relative had warned Urmila about the impending raid and she soon discarded the plants in a dustbin. But the traces of the ganja plants were found in the pots, with some leaves remaining visible.
When Sagar and Urmila were questioned, they confessed to cultivating ganja and directed the police to the discarded plants. The police officers recovered 54 grams of ganja from the pots and seized their mobile phones, including Urmila's, used to upload social media posts. Later, the couple were charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Meanwhile, the police believe the couple may have been involved in larger-scale operations, potentially cultivating ganja for commercial purposes. Despite Urmila's initial denials of sharing them, police confirmed the photos were uploaded on October 18.
