Bengaluru couple arrested for growing 'weed' as home decor on balcony after Facebook post goes viral

A couple in Bengaluru has been arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for cultivating cannabis plants on their balcony. 

The Sadashivanagar police in Bengaluru recently arrested the couple from their home in MSR Nagar, according to The New Indian Express.

K. Sagar Gurung (37) and his wife, Urmila Kumari (38), from Sikkim, run a fast-food joint on the ground floor of their building in Bengaluru. They had been growing ganja in two pots on their balcony, along with decorative plants. The matter came to light when Urmila shared photos and videos of her plants on Facebook, and her followers spotted the ganja. This led to the police being alerted and an investigation being launched.

When the police arrived, a relative of the couple reportedly warned Urmila, giving her time to remove the ganja plants from the pots and throw them away. However, the police found traces of the plants, with some leaves still remaining in the pots.

During questioning, the couple admitted to growing the ganja plants to sell them for profit. The police recovered about 54 grams of ganja and seized their mobile phones to check for any links to further distribution. Although Urmila initially denied posting the content, officers confirmed the social media posts from October 18.

The couple was taken into custody but later released on bail. A case has been filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Bengaluru’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) Narcotics Control Unit, along with Customs officials, recently seized drugs worth Rs 21.17 crore at the city’s Foreign Post Office.

The team inspected over 3,500 suspicious parcels, with the help of a canine squad, and found 606 parcels containing illegal substances from countries like the US, UK, Belgium, Thailand, and the Netherlands. The drugs included hydro ganja, LSD, MDMA crystals, ecstasy tablets, heroin, cocaine, amphetamine, charas, and ganja oil.