Home / Crime and Justice / Pune Man Caught With Protected Lizard Part
Pune Man Caught With Protected Lizard Part
21 Jun
Summary
- A man was arrested near Pune Railway Station with lizard body parts.
- The seized item was a severed and dried genital of a monitor lizard.
- Possession of monitor lizards is illegal under the Wildlife Protection Act.
A man was arrested by the state forest department on June 19 near Pune Railway Station. The accused, Malhar Lala Lokhande, 34, was found in possession of a severed and dried monitor lizard genital. Monitor lizards are designated as a protected species under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
Lokhande was arrested under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act and produced before a court, which remanded him to forest custody for one day. Further investigation is underway to determine how and from where the accused obtained the monitor lizard's genital.
Authorities stated that the accused intended to sell the prohibited item. Superstitions often attribute prosperity and luck to monitor lizard parts. Poachers and traders sometimes deceive buyers by selling these parts as 'hatha jodi', a mystical plant root, claiming it brings good fortune.
