UP: Three arrested for killing endangered Gangetic dolphin
Days after a Gangetic dolphin was beaten to death in the Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, three men have been arrested for the crime. The incident came to light after a video showing a group of men attacking the dolphin went viral online. Killing a Gangetic dolphin—the national aquatic animal—is a punishable offense under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Viral video shows gruesome attack
In the video, a group of men can be seen attacking the dolphin with sticks while others restrain the animal who appears to be struggling. One of the men is seen puncturing the dolphin with a bladed weapon. The dolphin is seen bleeding out. It eventually becomes motionless. "Faaltu mein maar rahe ho yaar (you're attacking it for no reason)," someone is heard saying.
Incident occurred on December 31
According to News18, the incident took place on December 31, 2020. The dolphin had reportedly been spotted in Sharda Canal—a tributary of Pratapgarh—and hunted by a group of men from Kothariya village under the Nawabganj Police station. The dolphin was first trapped with a net, the report stated. A Forest Department official reportedly found the dolphin lying lifeless by the side of a canal.
Attackers identified from video; three men jailed
Reportedly, the villagers did not immediately reveal who killed the animal. After the video of the vicious attack surfaced online, the men were identified from a nearby village, Forest Department official, Inspector Bhaiya Ram Pandey, told News18. The Pratapgarh Police said in a tweet that three men have been arrested so far and they are currently in jail.
