251 cannabis plants found growing in pigeon pea field in Betul's Sajpur, one arrested

Cannabis was being cultivated amid a pigeon pea (arhar) crop in Sajpur village, under Amla police station limits in Betul district. Acting on a tip-off from an informer, police raided the field on Wednesday and seized 251 cannabis plants. The plants were reported to weigh about 91 kg in all.

Police arrested one accused at the spot. Amla station house officer (TI) Mukesh Thakur said the accused had planted the cannabis among the pigeon pea crop so that no one would come to know of it. The seized plants have been valued at lakhs of rupees. The accused will be produced in court.

Illegal cultivation of narcotics had been detected in the area last year too. Police had then caught large-scale opium cultivation in the Sarni and Ranipur police station areas. That case was found to have links to Rajasthan, and more than five accused were arrested. The investigation had also uncovered an organised network of cannabis cultivation.

Police are now investigating further in the Sajpur case.