Hyderabad: In a strange expression of religious devotion, a man hid ganja behind the portraits of Hindu Gods inside his pooja rooms. He was arrested by the Excise Department’s State Task Force (STF) in Dhoolpet on Friday, July 4.

On information of possible ganja in Indiranagar, officials entered a house where a family was seated calmly performing an intricate prayer ritual in their pooja room.

At first look, it seemed normal, but for officials of the excise department, it was not. Something was fishy.

They asked those performing and attending the pooja to move, only to find paper rolls holding ganja behind the portraits of the gods.

A video of the incident went viral on social media platforms, with netizens exclaiming, “God is Great!” in response to the tricks of the traffickers.

Accused Rohan Singh was performing the pooja as an elaborate ruse to throw officers off the scent of the secrets tucked away in the temple. 

Investigations reveal that the narcotics were trafficked from Odisha and sold in Hyderabad’s prominent IT sectors like Gachibowli and Madhapur in quantities ranging across 5 gms, 10 gms, 15 gms and 20 gms.

The STF reportedly seized 23.5 kilograms of ganja in three separate raids in Dhoolpet. Traffickers from Odisha and Hyderabad were arrested in connection with the same.

Speaking to Siasat.com, excise department Superintendent and Operation Dhoolpet Special Officer Anji Reddy confirmed that two individuals were arrested, with three others involved in the racket absconding.

The arrested individuals have been charged under Section 20 (b) (ii) (b) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Investigations to track the remaining accused are underway.