Big Boss contestant and bull race organiser Varthur Santosh had procured tiger claws about three years back to fashion them as a pendant for his gold chain. He was arrested by the Forest Department on Sunday.
According to a senior forest official, Santosh had bought the claws about three years back and a jewellery shop fashioned them as a pendant. Santosh was picked up from the sets of the reality show on Sunday evening. Sources in the department said, the sleuths arrived at the sets on Sunday afternoon but were made to wait as the show was under way. However, the organisers of the show sent the pendant. Officials verified the pendant and found that it was genuine. Santosh was later evicted from the house around 7 p.m. and forest officials arrested him.
During the preliminary inquiry before he was remanded in judicial custody, a senior forest officer said, “Santosh informed us that he had bought the wildlife material three years ago. The department has secured enough details from the accused to track down the trading trail of the claws.”
Trading of any wildlife material, including tiger claw, is banned and is punishable under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
