Bengaluru man claims 27 Kg ganja grew ‘naturally’ in backyard, Karnataka HC expresses doubt

Bengaluru's Jayanagar witnessed an unusual legal battle on Tuesday as the Karnataka High Court heard the case of a 67-year-old resident, Chandrashekar, who claimed ignorance about how over 27 kilograms of cannabis ended up in his backyard. The man argued that the plants could have grown naturally through pollination, as the area had been left unattended.

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Booked by Bengaluru Police for cultivating a commercial quantity of ganja, Chandrashekar sought to quash the charges. However, Justice M. Nagaprasanna raised doubts over his defense, noting the improbability of such growth in an urban area. “You live in Jayanagar—a concrete jungle. How could cross-pollination happen here? Were you growing trees or plants?” the judge questioned.

The prosecution argued that Chandrashekar’s actions constituted a serious societal offense, while his lawyer maintained the charges were limited to cultivation, not sale or consumption. In response, the Court retorted, "Then why were you growing it? Was it out of passion?"

Granting the accused additional time to clarify his stance, the Court adjourned the case to December 4, emphasizing that a lack of evidence could lead to quashing the case but requiring a clear explanation of the cannabis’s origin.

This hearing comes shortly after Bengaluru's Sadashivanagar police arrested a couple for growing cannabis in flower pots, following a social media post that inadvertently exposed their actions.