A police operation in Balanagar turned into a chaotic rooftop chase after three siblings, suspected of selling marijuana, allegedly unleashed dogs on the EAGLE Force teams, stabbed an inspector with a screwdriver and then made a dramatic attempt to flee across rooftops before one of the accused allegedly threatened to end his life.
The early-morning operation ended with the arrest of three brothers, Bolla Durga Prasad, Bolla Kiran Kumar and Bolla Kamalakar, who allegedly ran an online marijuana network using a ‘dead drop’ system that allowed sellers and buyers to remain anonymous.
When two EAGLE Force teams reached their residence in Balanagar, the accused allegedly let loose their dogs, including a cross-breed with a Great Dane, on the police personnel. In the ensuing confrontation, Kamalakar allegedly attacked Inspector Mallesh with a screwdriver, causing a bleeding injury to his hand. The inspector was given first aid.
As officers tried to secure the premises, Kiran Kumar allegedly made a run for it, jumping from one building roof top to another in an attempt to escape the teams. He allegedly snatched a mobile phone from an elderly woman and recorded a video claiming he was going to end his life before jumping from a building. Police eventually secured him. He is undergoing treatment for his injuries from the fall.
A search of their residence yielded about 14 kg of marijuana, an air gun and other material, police said. Investigators also found evidence indicating that the brothers had been selling marijuana online since 2025 and had earned around ₹25 lakh through the operation.
The dramatic arrest was the culmination of a wider EAGLE Force investigation, involving 40 teams, that began when an alleged consumer was caught collecting a marijuana consignment from a dead drop. “The sellers would send customers a photograph of a particular location, leave the drug there and allow the buyer to collect it later, eliminating any face-to-face contact,” explained SP of EAGLE force, Giridhar.
Police examined the consumer’s WhatsApp history and followed the digital trail to the sellers. As investigators mapped the network, they identified 203 consumers and formed 40 teams for the operation, with teams also sent to Odisha.
Of the 203 consumers identified so far, 100 have been apprehended and 79 have tested positive for marijuana. The process of tracing and testing the remaining consumers is continuing.
The network’s transaction trail stretches well beyond Hyderabad, with buyers identified in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Some of the larger trials include 239 transactions worth ₹3.61 lakh linked to one customer in Karnataka, 70 transactions worth ₹77,100 and 54 transactions worth ₹1.09 lakh involving Hyderabad-based customers.
The consumer data shows the network had a sizeable young-adult customer base, with the ages available to investigators ranging from 19 to 54.
Police are also examining accounts allegedly held by Harika, Durga Prasad, Krishnaveni and others as part of the financial investigation. Durga Prasad had previously been arrested by the Excise police, investigators said.Balanagar police have registered cases for the attack on police personnel.
Published - August 13, 2026 11:26 pm IST