Police seize 2 kg ganja from polytechnic college hostel in Kerala

KOCHI: As part of a stringent crackdown on narcotics, the police raided a college hostel here, seizing two kilograms of ganja and arresting three students. The raid was conducted at the men's hostel of Government Polytechnic College, Kalamassery, on Thursday night, leading to the arrest of three students, police said. The incident triggered a blame game among student outfit leaders, including those from the Kerala Students Union (KSU) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI), over the alleged involvement of their activists in the crime. Two of the students were released on station bail, while Akash M, 21, a native of Kulathupuzha, Kollam, was booked under a separate FIR after authorities recovered 1.909 kg of ganja from his room.

He was produced before a local court on Friday and remanded to judicial custody. The second FIR names two other students—Adithyan, 20, a native of Haripad, Alappuzha, and Abhiraj R, 21, a native of Karunagappally, Kollam—from whom 9.70 grams of ganja were seized. They were granted station bail, police officers said. The college authorities have since suspended all three students and ordered an internal inquiry into the incident. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan reacted to the arrest of Abhiraj R, the SFI college union general secretary. He alleged that SFI union leaders were involved in the ganja seizure case, accusing the Left-affiliated student organisation of facilitating drug distribution in college hostels and campuses. Satheesan claimed that the drug mafia is expanding its network with "political patronage" and that SFI is playing a key role in this spread across campuses. He urged the CPI(M) leadership and the state government to take strict action. Excise Minister M B Rajesh asserted that strong measures are being taken against the drug mafia, saying it remains unclear whether any organisations are directly linked to the ganja seizure at Kalamassery Polytechnic College.

Government's stance on drug-related offenses

Speaking to the media, he said regardless of political affiliations, the government will combat drug-related activities with an iron fist and assured strict action against those implicated. Industries Minister P Rajeeve also vowed stringent action. "If you examine the background of the accused in every drug case, you will find individuals from all outfits. Those involved in this incident will face strict consequences," he told reporters in response to queries about the SFI leader's involvement. The SFI has defended the accused, asserting that no contraband was recovered from his possession and that he has no history of drug use.

"The arrested student, Akash, along with two others who fled the campus during the search, are active members of the KSU," SFI Kalamassery area president Devarajan told the media. He called for a probe into the involvement of the two students who allegedly escaped during the raid, claiming that one of them contested the union elections under the banner of KSU. According to SFI leaders, Adil and Anandu, two KSU activists, were staying with Akash, and Adil had contested the elections. Abhiraj, who was released on station bail, also claimed that he was being unfairly targeted. Meanwhile, SFI state secretary P S Sanjeev has called for a detailed inquiry into the ganja seizure case while admitting a lapse in vigilance on the organisation's part. He acknowledged that the SFI activist involved had not been vigilant and assured that appropriate action would be taken. "The activist has expressed willingness to undergo a medical examination. We will decide on further action after hearing his side," Sanjeev said. "There is an attempt to pin the blame for this incident solely on SFI," he alleged.

SFI demands probe into KSU involvement

He also questioned why the focus was not on the seizure of two kilograms of ganja from a KSU activist’s room. KSU state president Alosious Xavier dismissed the allegations. "If anyone from our outfit is found guilty in the further probe, KSU will not defend them," he told the media. Thrikkakara Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) P V Baby said that the police did not consider the political affiliations of the students during the investigation. "Three students were caught red-handed and were directly involved in the case," he stated. The ACP confirmed that the medical examination of the accused had been conducted. According to police, the contraband was intended for both sale and personal use.

The ACP stated that the raid was conducted based on a tip-off about large quantities of ganja being stored on campus ahead of Holi celebrations. "Both insiders and outsiders are involved in drug peddling, with former students and external individuals playing a key role," he told reporters. He added that outsiders could not have accessed the hostel rooms without the consent of those residing there. "Therefore, it cannot be said that the hostel residents had no involvement." The police are also investigating individuals who frequently visit the hostel and campus as part of the probe. In addition to the drugs, officers seized two mobile phones, identity cards, and a weighing scale from the suspects. The search, which began on Thursday night, lasted nearly seven hours and concluded at 4 am on Friday, police officials said. The raid was carried out jointly by the Kalamassery police, the City Police Narcotic Cell, and the District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF), they added.