A fruit seller, the grandmother ran a marijuana retail chain from Fateh Nagar

A fruit vendor and his 78-year-old grandmother allegedly turned their house in Fateh Nagar into a marijuana retail outlet that attracted scores of customers from across Hyderabad every day. The network was busted by the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) in a joint operation with the Cyberabad and Hyderabad narcotics police.

Police said the operation was launched after several complaints were received on the 1908 EAGLE Force toll-free line. A special team kept the location under surveillance and watched as customers started coming in to buy marijuana.

As many as 31 consumers from different parts of Hyderabad reached the locality during the operation. Of these, 29 tested positive for cannabis consumption. The three were caught carrying packages weighing about 15 grams, which police said they had just purchased from an elderly woman. A total of 17.8 grams of marijuana and a mobile phone were seized.

The main accused, Kaliwala Ajay alias Akash, 30, a fruit vendor from Fateh Nagar, was arrested. His grandmother Chandramma (78) has been named as a co-accused and is absconding. Police alleged that she was openly selling five-gram packets of marijuana for ₹500 outside her house while Akash was driving the van.

Investigators said most of the consumers were around 25 years old and admitted to using marijuana for more than two years. Of those detained, 11 were children of single parents and three were orphans.

During questioning, consumers reportedly identified Fateh Nagar, Nanakramguda and Dhoolpet as major retail hubs for marijuana. Police said the small packets were sold at a price that translated to nearly Rs 1 lakh for each kilogram, making the business highly profitable.

The accused, the consumers and the seized material were handed over to the Hyderabad Narcotics Police Station, which registered a case under the NDPS Act. Efforts are on to trace and arrest Chandramma.

Published – 10 Jul 2026 21:01 IST