The illegal unit was running under the name Teerth Herbal Farm and Nursery, but investigations revealed it was a fully equipped drug manufacturing facility. The enterprise was registered as a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) with the Industry Department on June 29, 2024. Official records showed the unit’s address as Nasiya Road in Indore, while the actual factory was operating nearly 145 km away in a remote forested area of Agar-Malwa.
Police said the facility was located around 25 km from Agar town on the Jhalawar–Kota Road. Access to the site involved travelling two kilometres along a dirt track from a nearby Hanuman temple and stone crusher. Spread across three acres, the premises was fenced with electrified wiring and guarded with security arrangements typically seen at high-risk industrial installations. From the outside, signboards and surrounding farmland helped the unit blend seamlessly into the rural landscape.
During the raid, officers found a complete laboratory setup used for synthesising MD. Preliminary findings indicate the operation was controlled by individuals based in Indore. Documents recovered during the search named Anil, Abhay and Sandeep Pokharna, along with family members, as linked to the enterprise. The nursery’s bank account was also traced to a branch in Pardeshipura, Indore, though the business was officially registered as a wholesale plant and flower trade.
Investigators said the factory had operational links with the Mandsaur–Rajasthan Devalji drug network. This is the second major MD manufacturing case tied to Mandsaur in recent months. In October last year, a separate MD unit worth ₹1,814 crore was unearthed in Bhopal, leading to the arrest of Mandsaur resident Harish Aanjna.
In the Agar-Malwa case, accused Dharasingh and Prahlad Singh—both absconding—were found to be associated with a notorious trafficker from Mandsaur. Another accused, Kushal Singh, told investigators the consignment was meant for supply to Rajasthan via Devalji.
Authorities also highlighted the criminal background of the nursery’s operator, Kaluram Rathadia, who has faced multiple cases under the NDPS Act and other serious charges over the past decade. Officials said further arrests are likely as financial trails and logistical links of the network are being traced.
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