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The forest department arrested Bigg Boss Kannada contestant Varthur Santhosh and and two self-proclaimed godmen on Sunday night for allegedly wearing a tiger claw pendant during the reality show. They sent him to 14 days judicial custody on Monday.
Late last evening (October 22), the forest department reached Bigg Boss house and asked the officials to remove the chain from the contestant, so it could conduct an examination. The officials confirmed the authenticity of the tiger claws after examination. Afterwards, they requested the Bigg Boss organisers to hand the contestant over to them.
Kannada Big Boss star arrested for Tiger claw locket
During the legal proceedings, the Bigg Boss Kannada season 10 contestant acknowledged bringing the locket from a dealer three years ago.
"When we checked the pendant, it was confirmed that it was a tiger claw," Bengaluru Urban Deputy Conservator of Forests N Ravindrakumar told The Indian Express.
Prakash Natalkar, a former senior forest official (wildlife), expressed his concern to Down To Earth (DTE) about the violation of the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972.
He stated, “Awareness levels among people about this type of crime appear to be very low, even among celebrities, which is deplorable. The Wildlife Act is as prevalent as the Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure, and nobody claims ignorance of the law as an escape route.”
Deputy Conservator of Forest Ravindra Kumar spoke to India Today, saying, "It was a public complaint after they saw him wearing tiger claws. We inspected it in Bigg Boss studio near Komaghatta after the complaint and asked the authorities to hand over the locket. They agreed to hand it over to us after some dilly-dallying".
Illegal Tiger claw trade threatens conservation
The act violates the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, as people consider tigers a highly endangered species. If anyone illegally possesses tiger body parts, they can receive a minimum of three years imprisonment, which is extendable up to seven years, and a fine of Rs 25,000.
Various wildlife preservation acts and international conventions protect tiger claws. People do not intend to buy or sell them, and many countries, including India, consider their possession to be illegal. The Wildlife Act penalizes violations with both fines and imprisonment ranging from three to seven years.
India bans the trade of commodities like tiger claws, elephant ivory, and rhino horns. However, traders sell them in the international market through illegal routes because Chinese medicine and religious idol and pendant manufacturers use them.
Tiger claws, regarded as symbols of strength, courage, and protection in some Indian cultures, have been used for centuries in various jewelry items. However, the illegal trade of these animal parts, particularly tiger claws, has contributed significantly to the decline in the tiger population in India.
The ban on wearing tiger claw lockets, enforced under the Wildlife Protection Act, is a move by Indian authorities to curb the illegal trade in wildlife and promote tiger conservation. The Act strictly prohibits the trade, possession, and wearing of products derived from protected species, which includes tiger claws, bones, skins, and other body parts.
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