Devotees of a temple on Gandhi Road were in for a shock on Monday as news broke out that police had seized a ganja (cannabis) plant from the premises on Sunday. Usually, this temple attracts a large number of devotees every Monday. Legend has it that the presiding deity would help devotees emerge successful from their legal arguments. The Vishnu Kanchi police received a tip-off that a ganja plant is being raised in a remote place that was not frequented either by the devotees or by the temple staff. The place was located in a corner of the temple where debris and other discarded materials were dumped, after the temple was renovated and a new Rajagopuram (main entrance) was constructed in the recent past. During inspection, a ganja plant was found in a plastic container filled with sand amidst the debris. Inquiries led to the culprit, Moorthy, 50, of Sadhavaram in Kancheepuram Municipal limit. He had planted the plant and had been silently watering them. He was employed as a night watchman in a shop located close to the temple. He used to visit the temple regularly and volunteer to clean up the premises. Thus, he had enjoyed access to certain parts of the temple where other devotees would not be allowed to enter. Moorthy, who is an alcoholic and had the habit of using drugs, chose to cultivate the ganja plant on the temple premises. Moorthy was arrested by the Vishnu Kanchi police after he admitted to the crime.
