Vizianagaram district police detained Sigili Venkatesh, 29, of Rangappavalasa village in Therlam mandal, under the PD Act, the state’s preventive-detention law, and moved him to Visakhapatnam Central Jail on 31 October 2026.[1] District superintendent of police A.R. Damodar said Bobbili Rural circle inspector Mallikarjuna Rao initiated the detention because Venkatesh had repeatedly smuggled ganja, or cannabis, and broken the law.[1] The superintendent said Venkatesh was taken into custody and would be held without bail for up to a year.[1]

Police said two ganja cases were already registered against him, one at Therlam police station and one within Budarayavalasa police station limits.[1] They said 16.570 kg of ganja was seized from him in those two cases.[1]

Damodar warned that police would take strict legal action against people repeatedly caught smuggling or selling ganja in the district.[1] He said police would not spare anyone who disturbed public order.[1] The department would keep acting to stop activities that threatened public safety, he said.[1]