Raipur, October 29: Raipur police arrested three persons, including a woman, and seized 14.970 kg of ganja worth ₹7,48,500 near the Telghani Naka overbridge under Ganj police station limits on October 28, 2026.
The accused have been identified as Gajendra Panchal (34), Neeraj Tomar (21), and Shabana Lodhi (33). Panchal and Tomar are natives of Bharatpur district in Rajasthan, while Lodhi is Tomar’s wife. According to police, Lodhi has a previous record of imprisonment in an NDPS Act case in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit, Anti-Narcotics Task Force, and Ganj police station conducted an operation near the electricity office close to the Telghani Naka overbridge.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Cyber) Smrutik Rajnala and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) Tarkeshwar Patel.
When questioned, the suspects allegedly attempted to flee. However, police personnel cordoned off the area and apprehended all three. During preliminary interrogation, the accused revealed that the ganja had been procured from Odisha.
Police registered a case under Section 20(b) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Ganj police station under Crime No. 319/26.
Investigators are conducting backward and forward linkage investigations to identify the suppliers, potential buyers, and other individuals involved in the suspected smuggling network.
215 Arrested in 98 NDPS Cases
According to the Raipur Commissionerate, the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit and Anti-Narcotics Task Force have so far arrested 215 persons in 98 cases registered under the NDPS Act.
The total value of narcotics and related materials seized in these operations has been estimated at ₹7,33,84,820.
