Chennai: A 55-year-old man was arrested by the Kancheepuram police on Sunday for rearing ganja plants near a famous temple in Kancheepuram district.
The arrested person did odd jobs in the neighbourhood and was a self appointed night security man for the temple and a textile shop nearby, police sources said.
The temple, “Vazhakku theertha Eswaran” kovil on Gandhi road in Kancheepuram is known for being frequented by many politicians including the late chief minister, J Jayalalithaa, according to the police. S.Moorthy has been living there for the past four years, police said. Morrthy was raising the ganja plant in an unused by-lane in between the temple and the textile shop.
“A year ago, the temple had dumped all used decorative items from a festival held there in the bylane. The man had used this cover to rear the plant there,” a police officer said. Since he had appointed himself as security man, he never allowed people to venture anywhere near the area.
Police were tipped off by a grumpy friend of Moorthy after he refused to give him some ganja.
The Vishnu Kanchi police rushed to the temple on Sunday morning and, after finding two ganja plants having grown about two feet high, rushed to Moorthy's residence on Siddhi Vinayakar street to secure him. He was arrested after he confessed to the police during investigations.
He was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody. Police said that the temple authorities and the proprietors of the textile shop had denied having employed the man at any point of time and said that he did odd jobs for them on his own for a meagre salary.
