Massive ganja farm destroyed in Kerala's Attappady forest
Palakkad (PTI): The Kerala police on Wednesday said they have destroyed what is believed to be the state’s largest illegal cannabis plantation, hidden deep inside a forest in the Attappady region of this north Kerala district.
Officers from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), the district anti-narcotics unit and Pudur Police joined forces for the operation, trekking nearly five hours through dense forest to reach the site at the foothills of Sathyakkallumala, they said.
The teams found around 10,000 cannabis plants, each about three months old, spread across roughly 60 cents of land.
The plants were uprooted and destroyed on the spot.
Police said the raid followed information received by Kerala ATS DIG Putta Vimaladitya IPS about large-scale commercial ganja cultivation in the tribal belt of Attappady.
He alerted Palakkad district police chief Ajith Kumar IPS, who coordinated the operation.
"This was one of the biggest ganja cultivation raids ever conducted by Kerala Police," an officer said, adding that an investigation is underway to trace those behind the plantation and their possible links to illegal trade networks.
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Attacks on Christians contradict PM's message of harmony, visit to church: Gehlot
Jaipur (PTI): Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday expressed concern over the reported attacks and disruptions in prayer gatherings of the Christian community in different parts of the country, saying such incidents were "worrying and condemnable".
In a post on X, Gehlot said that while the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting a church and giving a message of peace and harmony, news of attacks on members of the Christian community from various regions reflected a serious contradiction.
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"Symbolic gestures would not be enough, and strict legal action was required against those spreading hatred," the senior Congress leader said.
He added that Indian culture has always upheld the spirit of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", where every citizen has full freedom to practise their faith.
Gehlot urged the Centre and state governments to uphold the rule of law and ensure that no citizen is forced to celebrate their festival under fear.
