The Karnataka High Court was on Tuesday privy to an interesting exchange when a 67-year-old Bengaluru resident, booked by by the police for growing a commercial quantity of ganja or cannabis, claimed to have no idea about its growth in the backyard of his residence.

The accused, one Chandrashekar, booked for growing over 27 kilograms of ganja, was seeking quashing of the case against him. His counsel said the cannabis might have grown on its own through pollination since the backyard was not in use.

However, Justice M Nagaprasanna found it hard to believe that such large quantity of ganja may have grown on its own.

“27 kg 360 grams from plants found in the backyard? Was he growing trees or plants for this quantity? Your ground is that pollen might have fallen. But you live in Jayanagar... it is a concrete jungle. How is any cross-pollination possible in Jayanagar?” the Court asked.

When the State submitted that the accused has committed a “serious offence against the society,” the counsel representing him said the senior citizen had only been booked for cultivation and not consumption or sale of the illicit material.

At this, the Court said,

“Then why were you growing it? Passion, is it?”

The Court then gave the accused further time to explain how such large quantity of ganja had appeared in his backyard.

“Let me see this first. If there is nothing, we will quash the matter there itself but first, you should say how it started growing there,” the Court said while posting the matter for further hearing on December 4.