The police said investigation is underway to determine when and for what purpose the accused had grown the banned opium poppies. (Photo Credit: Special Arrangement)The Pimpri Chinchwad police recently arrested a 77-year-old farmer for allegedly growing banned opium poppies in his farmland in Mulshi.ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEOThe police have identified the accused as Sampat Darshile, a resident of Rasikwadi in Jambe in the Mulshi taluka of Pune district.Assistant police inspector Vikram Jagdale of the crime branch of the Pimpri Chinchwad police lodged the First Information Report (FIR) in this case at the Hinjewadi police station Saturday.Acting on a tip-off, crime branch sleuths had raided Darshile’s farm near the Shilamkar Sports Arena in Mulshi on Friday evening.During the raid, 16.810 kilogram of opium poppies, estimated at Rs 25.17 lakh, were seized from the farm.The police have arrested Darshile under sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.Assistant police inspector Somnath Panchal of Hinjewadi police station, the investigation officer in this case, said that a court has remanded the accused farmer in police custody till February 24 for further investigation.Story continues below this adThe police said an investigation is being conducted to determine when and for what purpose the accused had grown the banned opium poppies.Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:opium