Kerala rapper Vedan arrested for alleged possession of marijuana
Popular Kerala rapper Hirandas Murali, who goes by the stage name Vedan, was on Monday arrested for the alleged possession of marijuana, a police officer said.
The police seized the drugs during a raid conducted by the Hill Palace police at the rapper's apartment in Vyttila, Kochi on Monday.
'Vedan has admitted that he has been using drugs. We seized around 6 grams of marijuana from the apartment. We have recorded his arrest, and he will be released on station bail as the quantity of drugs seized is minimal,' an officer from the Hill Palace police station said.
The police have also confiscated around ₹9 lakh in cash from the rapper's apartment where some of his artist colleagues were present.
'They claimed the money was the revenue they earned from a stage show. It collectively belongs to the group. We will have to verify it,' the officer added.
The rapper was under their observation for quite some time and the raid was part of a tip-off. While Vedan has revealed the source of the drugs, the police declined to reveal the name.
Vedan burst onto the scene in Kerala during the pandemic in 2020 when his first music video on YouTube titled 'Voice of the Voiceless' garnered praise. But it was in 2024 when he became a household name through the rap track 'Kuthanthram' that he wrote and sang for the Malayalam blockbuster film 'Manjummel Boys'. The track was a result of his close collaboration with music director Sushin Shyam.
Vedan's arrest comes just a day after two prominent young directors, Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamza, were arrested and booked by the excise department for alleged possession of hybrid marijuana.
The Kerala police and the excise departments have been engaged in a relentless anti-drug operation across the state for the past few months following reports of major implosion of drugs, especially synthetic substances like hybrid marijuana, methamphetamine and MDMA, into the state. Cases of violence fuelled by drugs and overall seizures have soared in the past two years.
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