More college students under scanner in hydroponic ganja case

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Police commissioner Pravin Pawar on Wednesday said investigators have identified more students enrolled in professional and degree courses at reputed city colleges as part of the ongoing probe into the hydroponic ganja seizure case, in which two students were arrested with 285g of illegal substance worth about Rs 28.5 lakh in the illegal market on Tuesday."Some names of students from prominent colleges have surfaced during the probe. We are verifying whether they were involved as peddlers or were only consumers. Based on the findings, they may be added as co-accused in the case," Pawar said.A 23-year-old MBA (finance) student and a 20-year-old first-year computer science engineering student were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the case. They are currently in police custody. "They were intercepted on Tuesday morning near Baba Petrol Pump between Lohandi Pool and Baba Petrol Pump following a tip-off. We recovered eight transparent zip-lock pouches containing hydroponic ganja, a high‑potency cannabis variant grown through soil-less cultivation techniques," an officer said.Investigators said hydroponic ganja fetched a significantly higher price in the illegal market due to its potency and controlled cultivation. "During interrogation, the accused allegedly disclosed the names of several individuals who either purchased the contraband or were in contact with them for supply. We are now analysing call records and other digital evidence extracted from the two seized smartphones to map the wider network," the officer said.Police said the probe was focused on identifying the supply chain and the local distribution network operating among young people in the city. "We suspect the contraband was being sold in small quantities to selective groups of students," police said.An FIR has been lodged at the Kranti Chowk police station under relevant sections of the NDPS Act. Further investigation is under way to determine the role of other individuals linked to the case.