Maharashtra police have launched an investigation after marijuana (cannabis) plants have been found growing in a municipal park in Nagpur. A local BJP leader posted the video on social media for the first time and said they have been growing openly in the public park. The video quickly gained attention online and local police and local governments have begun investigating.
The video also showed plants that were alleged to be cannabis growing among other vegetation in the park, officials said. Once the footage was distributed, municipal authorities and police came to the location to observe the area and verify the claims.
As far as we know, the plants have been removed from the park as part of the investigation. We are now trying to determine if the plants were indeed cannabis and if so, how they came to be growing inside a public space maintained by the municipal corporation.
Samples of the suspected plants may be examined by the appropriate authorities to confirm their identity, said the official. Cannabis plants can look like other species at different stages of development, so scientific verification is required before conclusions can be drawn.
The investigation will focus on multiple aspects of whether the plants grew naturally from seeds carried by environmental factors, were accidentally introduced, or were deliberately cultivated. There is no publicly available evidence that suggests intentional cultivation and the investigation continues.
The BJP leader who used the video said such plants are seen to be present in a public park in the video as a sign that there is not enough maintenance and supervision. The video brought up the conversation on social media that many people were surprised that marijuana plants were grown in a public park where people were not concerned that it was not being noticed in a public recreational area.
Residents have been assured that they are being taken seriously by officials in the city. Parks and other public areas would be closely monitored for suspicious or unauthorized vegetation and all of those areas will be examined regularly, officials said.
Nagpur's parks are frequently visited by families, children, senior citizens, and morning walkers. The appearance of suspected cannabis plants in such a location naturally raised concerns among local residents regarding park management and regular inspections.
The identification of cannabis plants requires botanical examination, experts say. While the plant has different leaf traits, visual identification might not always be sufficient for legal or scientific purposes. Lab testing or examination by qualified experts may be necessary to confirm the species.
Law enforcement agencies are also investigating whether any criminal offence may have taken place. If the investigation establishes that the plants were intentionally cultivated, authorities can proceed under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act which governs offences related to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in India. No conclusions have been made so far and officials have said that the investigation is ongoing.
The incident underlines the role that social media has played in bringing civic problems to the attention of authorities. Videos and photographs posted online may result in quicker official responses but also, investigators note, do not reach conclusions before facts are verified.
Public places such as municipal parks need to be closely monitored by the municipality for cleanliness and maintenance and not only for the protection of the environment, but also for the early detection of illegal activity or unusual activities. Horticulture teams and civic staff are also critical to the maintenance of these public places.
Residents are happy the inquiry is now going on and hope that it will tell us how the plants appeared in the park. They also want better maintenance and inspections on a regular basis to avoid similar situations in the future.
Nagpur News: BJP Leader Claims Cannabis Plants Found in Municipal Garden #nagpur pic.twitter.com/UbuRBiywDr
— sandip kapde (@SandipKapde) July 14, 2026
The public is advised to report any suspicious plants or activities in public spaces to the local civic or law enforcement agency instead of having to handle it themselves, officials added. Any findings of the investigation will be made public once verification has been done, officials said.
The investigation will continue, however, and the plants are believed to have been naturally produced, accidentally introduced, or cultivated. The results of the investigation will inform what actions should be taken next and the city should continue to look at public parks and civic space.
