Bengaluru: Police seize over 1,000 star tortoises; 4 arrested

Bengaluru: Police officials have arrested four nomads and seized 1,132 star tortoises in Bengaluru.

The arrested persons have been identified as Kalyan, Simhadri, and Issac from Sidlaghatta taluk in Chikkaballapur district and Rajaputra, a resident of Bagepalli.

The police said that the accused were nomads and they stayed on the fringes of forests in neighboring Andhra Pradesh and fetched star tortoises from jungles. They sold them to people who in turn used them for Vaastu and manufacturing of medicines.

They have made this as their source of livelihood and their families depended on the income generated through the sale of these tortoises. The accused have told the police that they had sold 100 star tortoises earlier in Mumbai.

The police have taken the three accused into custody from the Goraguntepalya bus station in Bengaluru after gathering specific inputs and seized 963 star tortoises. Later another accused was arrested in Chikkaballapur and more turtles were seized from his residence. Further investigation was on.

Star tortoises are protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and anyone found in possession of these can face criminal charges, with sentences of up to six months imprisonment.

 

(With inputs from IANS)