Reality show contestant arrested under Wildlife Protection Act for wearing tiger claw pendant

Bengaluru: A contestant of a Kannada reality show was arrested by forest department officials for allegedly wearing a tiger claw pendant, officials said on Monday.

The action came after a complaint that Varthur Santhosh was wearing such a pendant on Bigg Boss Kannada, which was being telecast, they said.

A team led by Bengaluru Urban Deputy Conservator of Forests N Ravindra Kumar went to the place where the show was being shot and made the arrest on Sunday night.

According to the forest department officials, on reaching the sets the team handling the show was informed and asked to bring Santhosh outside the studio. Thereafter, upon verification, it was confirmed that he was indeed wearing a pendant of a tiger claw, following which he was arrested under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Speaking to PTI, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Kumar Pushkar said, "Our team verified the tiger claw that he was wearing. After verifying that it was a tiger claw, he was taken into custody and the interrogations are going on. Wildlife Protection Act is quite strict in this...We will be seeking his judicial custody for a few days because we need to investigate the case."

During interrogation, Santhosh told the forest officials that he had bought the tiger claw pendant from a place in Tamil Nadu's Hosur town bordering Karnataka for Rs 20,000 about three years ago, according to another forest officer.

"His claims need to be verified and he has to be interrogated further in connection with the case. So, we produced him before a magistrate. As of now, we have sought 15 days' custody to investigate the case. We are waiting for the court order," he said.