Kerala woman arrested for growing 6-feet tall ganja plant on rooftop

The accused’s mother claimed that the ganja plants were grown for medicinal purposes.

news Crime

A 37-year-old woman was arrested by the Kerala police for allegedly growing cannabis on the rooftop of her house in Kochi.

Ann Mary Clement, a tour operator and insurance agent living on Vattekkadu Road in Kaloor allegedly had in possession 5 cannabis plants of nearly 6.5 ft height, according to a report in TNIE.

The accused, who lives with her 66-year-old mother allegedly confessed during interrogation that the plants were handed to her by one of her friends. She also admitted to growing the plants for over 6 months.

Ann, however, refused to reveal the identity of her associates, according to the report.

She was taken into custody during a raid on the house by the police, who reportedly acted on a tip-off about suspicious activities in the premises.

"The shadow police alerted us about suspicious activities and the house was put under observation for two-to-three days. We saw people coming and going and decided to conduct a raid," Vipin Das, Ernakulam North SI told TOI.

According to the police, local residents had raised complaints about a black Figo car doing the rounds in the locality, which allegedly peddled cannabis. The locals also reportedly informed the police that the woman and her mother were having odd visitors lately which fuelled their suspicion.

The woman's mother, however, claimed that the plants were grown for medicinal purposes and it was never sold to outsiders, according to TOI.

"I have had severe thyroid issues and had been suffering from resultant bouts of anxiety and depression as well. Despite having sought treatment from allopathy, ayurveda and homeopathy, I did not get any relief. For three years I have been using cannabis juice and it gave me much better results than any other medication," Ann Mary's mother Treesa Ann Clement told TOI.

The accused has been charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (22d), a non-bailable offence that can even receive up to 10 years of prison term.

In February, two men from Chennai were arrested for growing cannabis on their terrace after they posted a picture on Facebook. The picture of one of the men, 35-year-old Kamal posing next to the plant, cause a stir on social media leading the police to nab them.

Read: 'High' on Facebook: Two TN men land in jail after photo withganja plant goes viral