Police destroy cannabis saplings near Bhandup hill reservoir in Mumbai

Mumbai: Police have destroyed illegal cannabis saplings that were found in the hilly areas near Bhandup hill reservoir.Deputy commissioner of police Hemraj Rajput said preliminary inquiry suggests the saplings may have sprouted naturally from seeds discarded by drug addicts frequenting the isolated hill area. "There is no evidence of systematic cannabis cultivation. The saplings appear to have grown naturally due to damp soil conditions," Rajput said, adding that no FIR has been registered so far, and further inquiry is underway.The matter came to light after local BJP corporator Jagruti Patil received a tip-off about suspected cannabis cultivation in the area.Patil, along with party workers, visited the hilly stretch and found cannabis growing on the damp ground. She alerted Bhandup police, who rushed to the spot. Police conducted a panchnama before destroying the saplings.