Malayalam Rapper Vedan Among Nine Arrested After Ganja Seized From Kochi Flat
Popular Malayalam rapper and songwriter Vedan, whose real name is Hirandas Murali, was arrested along with eight others after police seized ganja from his flat in Tripunithura, Kochi on Monday.
Acting on a tip-off, the Hill Palace police conducted a search at the apartment where Vedan and his friends had gathered, reportedly for music practice. During the raid, officers found six grams of ganja at the premises.
“During interrogation, Vedan admitted to consuming ganja,” a police officer stated. Along with the contraband, the police also seized mobile phones and around ₹9.5 lakh in cash, which the group claimed was payment for recent music performances.
Police confirmed that arrests were recorded and the group would undergo medical examinations and other formalities before being granted station bail. A further investigation will be carried out to trace the source of the drugs.
What adds a layer of irony to the case is that Vedan, who commands a strong following among the youth, had previously spoken out against drug abuse during his shows.
This incident comes just a day after three well-known figures from the Malayalam film industry — directors Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamsa among them — were similarly arrested with a small quantity of hybrid ganja. They too were later released on station bail.
Recently, actor Shine Tom Chacko was also booked in a drug-related case after attempting to evade authorities during a raid at a hotel.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
