First Ganja, Then Wildlife Hunting: Trouble Mounts For Malayalam Rapper Vedan

On April 29, Kerala Forests Minister A.K. Saseendran revealed that the Forest Department has detained popular Malayalam rapper and songwriter Hirandas Murali, also known as Vedan. The custody is linked to a leopard tooth discovered in his possession. This follows his earlier arrest and release on bail in a drug-related case.

Vedan was taken into custody for possession of a leopard tooth

As per PTI, the Kerala Forest Minister stated that police discovered a leopard tooth during a search of the rapper's rented apartment on Monday. The Forest Department was immediately notified.

"Upon confirming it was a leopard tooth, the department registered a case and took him into custody. Investigators are now trying to determine the source of the tooth. Once the investigation concludes, a report will be submitted to the court, which will decide the matter," the minister informed reporters.

He further mentioned that Vedan had been under the Forest Department's vigilance due to previous reports concerning him.

During questioning, Vedan initially claimed he had bought the tooth from Thailand but later stated that a fan gifted it to him during a programme in Chennai in May 2024, according to PTI.

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Vedan arrest in drugs case

Meanwhile, Kochi City Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladitya reported that the investigation into the origin of the drugs found at Vedan's residence was ongoing.

Vedan aka Hirandas Murali, and eight others were arrested in the drug case. Police seized five grams of dried ganja, drug paraphernalia, mobile phones, and approximately ₹9.50 lakh during the raid. All the accused were released on station bail after their arrests were recorded. These drug raids on the Malayalam artist occurred shortly after actor Shine Tom Chacko evaded authorities during a hotel room drug search. He was eventually arrested and released on bail after multiple complaints about his drug use on a film set. The issue first came to light when actress Vincy Aloshious publicly highlighted the rampant drug use within the Malayalam film industry.