Telangana YouTuber arrested for cooking, eating 'peacock curry' in video
A YouTuber from Sircilla, Telangana, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly promoting the consumption of peacock meat through a video. The video, which has since been removed from the platform, showed Kodam Pranay Kumar preparing and eating a dish he claimed was "peacock curry." Notably, peacocks are protected under Indian law as the national bird.
Kumar arrested by forest department
Kumar was arrested by the Forest Department, which also inspected the location where he filmed the video. He now faces charges under the Wildlife Protection Act for allegedly promoting illegal wildlife consumption. Forest officials are currently investigating the authenticity of the video and have collected samples for forensic analysis.
Blood samples, curry portions sent for testing
Sircilla Superintendent of Police (SP) Akhil Mahajan said, "A case was registered under relevant sections and strictest action would be taken against him and anyone else doing such activities." Further, Kumar's blood samples and portions of the curry were sent for testing. If the tests return positive for peacock meat, further action will be taken against him. "He (Kumar) will be sent to remand as well," Mahajan added.
Animal rights activists demand stringent action
Despite the removal of the video, animal rights activists are demanding stringent measures against Kumar. This is not the first time that Kumar has been in hot water over his videos; he had previously shared videos showcasing the preparation of wild boar curry, among others.