Vadodara: Strange are the laws in India. While liquor is banned in Gujarat, Bhang is not. Now, Rakshit Chaurasia, the 20-year-old student of a university in Vadodara, Gujarat, accused of ramming a car into several vehicles on Holi-eve and killing a woman in the process, has claimed that he did not consume alcohol but had Bhang before the incident.
Bhang is a paste of the leaves of the Cannabis plant. While there has been some research about its medicinal values, excessive use can cause severe intoxication, resulting in hallucinations. Bhang is usually served, mixed in Lassi or Thandai, during festivals such as Maha Shivaratri and Holi.
While states like Maharashtra and Assam continue to ban Bhang, it was removed from the list of ‘intoxicating drugs’ and legalised in Gujarat on February 21, 2017. This makes consumption of Bhang Lassi and Bhang Thandai legal for residents and tourists alike.
Chaurasia spoke to the media after his arrest and said that he panicked after the accident and wasn’t in his senses when he shouted ‘Nikita, Nikita’ or “Another Round” and then chanted “Om Namah Shivay”. He also denied that he was speeding, though the police still maintain that the car was travelling at over 100 km per hour.
According to experts, this is a classic example of what may happen once somebody consumes too much Bhang. “The boy was clearly hallucinating and didn’t even realise that he had rammed into eight vehicles, injuring several persons. Maybe, he wasn’t even aware that one of those who came under the car had died on the spot. After a person has too much Bhang, things do not register easily,” one of them said.
The police, meanwhile, are questioning Pranshu Chauhan, who was in the car with Chaurasia. The car belonged to Chauhan. He has not been arrested as yet. Chaurasia is from Varanasi and stays at a PG accommodation in Vadodara.
