Excise officers raided the Government College Hostel for Men in Thiruvananthapuram following a tip-off and seized 20 gram of ganja from one of the rooms on Tuesday.
The surprise operation was based on a tip-off about the presence of narcotic substances, including MDMA and ganja, on the premises.
During the raid, which began around 11 a.m., officers inspected nearly 20 rooms in the hostel. They discovered the ganja in four packets in Room No. 455, which was found unoccupied.
Harikrishnan S., Excise Inspector for the Thiruvananthapuram excise range, said that the room was found to be unlocked. He added that the room was vacated earlier in the day by a youth from Tamil Nadu. Efforts are now under way to track down the person.
The hostel, which accommodates students from various colleges affiliated to Kerala University, has also been a site of concern due to reports of non-students frequenting the premises.
V-C’s clarification
Kerala University Vice-Chancellor (in-charge) Mohanan Kunnummal clarified that the hostel is not under the purview of the university. He, however, expressed his support for law enforcement agencies in addressing drug-related issues in college and university hostels.
Students Federation of India (SFI) district secretary S.K. Adarsh condemned attempts to associate the organisation with illegal activities, and stressed that the SFI had informed the police about suspicious activities in the hostel earlier.
Published – April 01, 2025 08:53 pm IST
