Idukki, 17 September (H.S.): Former Thodupuzha municipal chairman Saneesh George was arrested after police allegedly found him consuming a synthetic drug at an isolated location in the early hours of Thursday.

The arrest was made during an inspection conducted by a special police team as part of Operation Toofan, an intensified drive against narcotics. Police said the team reached the location after receiving specific information that George was using drugs there.

No synthetic drug was reportedly recovered from his possession. However, police said he had already consumed the substance by the time officers arrived. A syringe suspected to have been used for injecting the drug was recovered from the spot.

George was accompanied by a friend when the police team reached the area, officials said. The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the source of the suspected drug and the involvement of the other person, are being investigated.

George had earlier resigned as chairman of the Thodupuzha municipality in 2024 after he was named as an accused in a bribery case. He was accused of accepting a bribe in return for issuing a fitness certificate to a school building.

He had contested and won the municipal election as a rebel candidate of the United Democratic Front. He subsequently became chairman with the support of the Left Democratic Front.

George later returned to the Congress. However, the party did not field him as its candidate in the latest local body elections following the controversies surrounding him.

Police said George had also faced an earlier case involving the alleged possession of cannabis. The latest arrest has once again brought his previous cases and political career under scrutiny.

Officials are expected to conduct medical and forensic examinations to determine the substance allegedly consumed. Further legal action will depend on the examination results and the evidence collected from the location. Police are also questioning his companion and examining whether anyone else was involved in supplying the suspected narcotic substance.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman