Odisha YouTuber draws Lord Jagannath’s image on turtle shell, arrested after reel become viral
The two youths, who are said to be the residents of Bargarh district, were arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by Subhendu Mallik, General Secretary of Snake Helpline in Bhubaneswar.
Bhubaneswar: A YouTuber and one of his associates were arrested on charges of painting Lord Jagannath’s image on the shell of a turtle and sharing a reel of it on Facebook.
The two youths, who are said to be the residents of Bargarh district, were arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by Subhendu Mallik, General Secretary of Snake Helpline in Bhubaneswar.
Mallik had lodged a formal complaint with the Chief Wildlife Warden of Odisha, seeking action against the YouTuber after finding the Facebook reel (involving the turtle) violating the Wildlife Protection Act.
In the video, which went viral, it can be seen that Lord Jagannath’s image is being painted on the back of an Indian Flapshell Turtle (a Schedule I protected species) before it was released into water. However, several animal lovers condemned the video after it went viral and sought action against the persons involved in the incident.
It is to be noted here that any harm or misuse of Schedule I species—such as the Indian Flapshell Turtle—is a serious offence under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and is punishable by up to seven years in prison, a fine of Rs 1 lakh, or both.
