Pune Police Bust Marijuana Cultivation in Lohgaon Bungalow; One Arrested
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Lohgaon, 28th April 2026: In a significant crackdown on drug cultivation, the Lohgaon Police under Pune City Police raided a rented bungalow and arrested a 30-year-old man for growing marijuana (Ganja) in his garden. The operation led to the seizure of plants and contraband worth over ₹6 lakh.
Acting on a confidential tip-off received by Police Constables Akash More and Amol Adling, a team led by Senior Police Inspector Manisha Patil conducted a raid on April 27, 2026, at a bungalow located in Pathare Vasti, Lohgaon. The police discovered 41 marijuana plants of various sizes being cultivated in the garden area.
The accused has been identified as Harsh Bharatkumar Panchal (30), a native of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, currently residing at Namo Paradise in Pathare Vasti, Lohgaon. He is involved in online share trading, police said.
According to the police, the seized items include:
Marijuana Plants: 41 plants weighing approximately 4.328 kg.
Processed Marijuana: 0.066 kg found inside a Hyundai car used by the accused.
Electronics: 9 mobile phones. The total value of the seized property is estimated at ₹6,07,380.
A case has been registered against Panchal at the Lohgaon Police Station under relevant sections of the NDPS Act. Further investigation is underway to determine if the accused was part of a larger distribution network.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Additional Police Commissioner Manoj Patil, DCP Somay Munde, and ACP Nutan Pawar, with a team comprising API Shubhangi Magdum, PSI Manoj Barure, and police personnel Ganesh Ithape, Ganesh Satpute, Balasaheb Shirsath, Jotiram Devkate, Dadasaheb Barde, Ashwin Dethe, Dnyandev Awari, Alpesh Potkule, Pritam Jangam, Sachin Jadhav, Dnyaneshwar Awari, Yuvraj Chaudhary and Ashok Thorat.
