Kerala Students Mistakenly Ask Excise Officers for Matchbox to Lit Ganja: Here’s What Happened Next

Idukki: Excise officers in this district of Kerala experienced an unexpected incident when a group of school students accidentally entered their office and requested a matchbox to light a beedi rolled with ganja.

The incident took place in Adimali on Monday, where students from an aided school in Thrissur were on a school excursion with their teachers. 

They entered the local excise office to get the matchbox mistaking it to be a workshop.

Immediately, excise sleuths apprehended the higher secondary students red-handed and seized banned substances, including ganja, hashish oil, and items used to prepare the contraband. 

A case was registered against two minor students found in possession of the illegal substances.

After dining at a hotel, a group of students ventured outside to smoke ganja beedi and asked for a matchbox to light it. 

A senior excise officer recounted, "When they saw the officers suddenly, they sensed danger and ran out. But, all of them were caught. When we carried out a check, banned substances were recovered."

Legal action was initiated under the relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act against the two students from whom the substances were confiscated. The remaining students received counseling.

"The rest of the students were sent back with their teachers. But, in the case of those two students, parents were summoned and sent them along with them only," he said.

Officials noted that drug abuse is prevalent during school and college excursions in the state. 

"In this particular case, students were said to have pooled money to buy the substance from some drug peddlers," he added. The department has decided to pursue legal proceedings against the students involved.

(With PTI inputs)