Telangana: Temple priest grows ganja among marigolds, arrested
India
A temple priest in Telangana's Sangareddy district has landed in trouble after police discovered he was secretly growing ganja (marijuana) among marigold plants on temple grounds.
Avuti Nagaiah, who was seen as a spiritual guide by locals, was arrested on Saturday after authorities raided the site and uncovered his hidden operation.
Investigators looking into possible accomplices in the operation
During the raid, officers seized 685 ganja plants, nearly 18kg of dried marijuana, close to a kilo of seeds, ₹30,000 cash, a digital weighing machine, and a mobile phone.
Investigators are now digging deeper to see how long this had been going on and whether anyone else helped run the operation under the cover of regular temple farming.