Madras HC grants bail to family accused of selling magic mushrooms, orders CB-CID probe

Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 16 : The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has granted bail with certain conditions to four members of a family accused of selling magic mushrooms (intoxicating mushrooms) in Tamil Nadu's Kodaikanal.
The court held that it was a false case, considering that there was a dispute between the family and the CSI Church management over a prime property in Kodaikanal, Dindigul district.
The court ordered a CB-CID probe into the case.
The family members, Salomon, Jayanthi, Victoria Rani, Helen Mary, and Brigad, filed a petition with the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, claiming that they owned bungalows in the Kodaikanal Lake area, which were being illegally usurped by another party.
They stated in their petition, "We have our own bungalows at Kodaikanal lake area. One of the parties claims to have illegally usurped the bungalows. Various attempts have been made to evict us. Meanwhile, the Kodaikanal police arrested us for selling magic mushrooms (intoxicating mushrooms). In this case, we have to grant bail. The inquiry should be ordered to be transferred to CBCID."
The petition was heard by Judge Pugalendhi, who directed the DGP to withdraw the case from the Kodaikanal Police and transfer it to the CBCID in either Dindigul or Madurai for further investigation.
The Judicial Magistrate concerned was directed not to file the final report if the Kodaikanal police filed it.
The court observed that the case appears to have been registered against the petitioners without ascertaining the quantity of psychotropic substance.
The police have projected the case as that of possession of commercial quantity, the court observed and said that it was of the view that the case has been foisted against the petitioners for the purpose of evicting them from the property in their occupation for which the police have been used as a tool.