An 81-year-old man was arrested on Monday for allegedly cultivating cannabis on land in Boisar taluka of Palghar district in Mumbai.

The police said that the accused Indradev Bajgovind (81) was using the cannabis also known as Marijuana or Ganja for growing and also for his own personal consumption.

After the police got to know about it, they immediately raided the farm in Nevale village, Boisar. The police found nearly 200 plants in the field and seized 905 gm Marijuana.

The police officer said that the owner of the land had commissioned the construction of an ashram and had given the responsibility to the man but as the construction is underway, he began growing marijuana.

The accused however told the police that he was unaware about the fact that marijuana was illegal. He has been booked under section 20(a), 8(a)(b)(k) of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and is in police custody on remand.

The police are yet to question the landowner on the matter. Also, In Maharashtra, Section 66(1)(b) of the Bombay Prohibition (BP) Act, 1949, bans manufacture, possession, and consumption of bhang and bhang-containing substances without a license.

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