Sangareddy: How priest Narasayya Maharaj ran ganja distribution operation from temple premises in Panchagam

Sangareddy: A temple priest posing as a spiritual guide was arrested for cultivating and selling ganja in Panchagam village, under Narayankhed mandal of Sangareddy district.

The Directorate of Task Force (DTF) Excise officials seized ganja plants, processed contraband, seeds, and cash worth an estimated Rs 70 lakh.

Ganja cultivation in the guise of devotion

The accused, Narasayya, widely known in the region as “Narasayya Maharaj”, was serving as a temple priest and spiritual guide to residents of Panchagam and nearly ten surrounding villages.

While preaching spirituality and moral values to devotees, he was allegedly running an illegal ganja cultivation and distribution operation.

Temple premises turned cultivation hub

Acting on credible intelligence, a DTF Excise team led by CI Shankar (Dubbak), along with SIs Hanumanth and Anudeep, and staff members Anji Reddy, Aruna Jyothi, Shiva Krishna, and Rajesh, conducted raids on Friday.

During the operation, officials discovered ganja plants being cultivated alongside flower plants in a marigold garden within the temple premises. Investigations revealed that Narasayya had been growing ganja for a long time, processing it into packets, and selling it illegally.

Massive seizure during raid

The raid led to the seizure of:

685 ganja plants

17.741 kg of processed ganja

0.897 kg of ganja seeds

Rs 30,000 in cash

Weighing machine used for packaging

Officials estimated the total value of the seized ganja and plants at Rs 70 lakh.

Village with a history of attacks on officials

Panchagam village is known for ganja cultivation in agricultural fields, including cotton farms. In the past, excise officials attempting inspections reportedly faced attacks. Adding to the political sensitivity, the village is also the native place of the local Narayankhed MLA.

From Ashram to Arrest

According to officials, Narasayya’s wife had passed away, and he had married off his two daughters. After spending some time in an ashram, he returned to the village and assumed the role of a temple priest. While cultivating flowers for worship, he allegedly began growing ganja alongside them to earn extra income.

Arrest and Official Appreciation

Narasayya was arrested and handed over to the Narayankhed Excise Police Station along with the seized contraband.

DTF personnel involved in the operation were congratulated by Excise Enforcement Director Shanawaz Qasim, Medak Deputy Commissioner J. Harikishan, Assistant Commissioner Srinivas Reddy, ES Naveen Chandra, and AES Manemma for their successful crackdown.