Telangana YouTuber Kodam Pranay Kumar was arrested on Sunday after he uploaded a video of him preparing and consuming 'peacock curry', which subsequently went viral.
Kumar, a resident of Siricilla in Telangana, was arrested under the Wildlife Protection Act, of 1972. The video has been taken down from his YouTube channel.
"Case has been registered under concerned law and strictest action would be taken against him and anyone else doing such activities," said Superintendent of Police, Siricilla, Akhil Mahajan, in a post on X.
Case has been registered under concerned law and strictest action would be taken against him and anyone else doing such activities.
— Akhil Mahajan IPS (@spsircilla) August 11, 2024
Animal rights activists and netizens urged strict action against the man. Investigation is on, and a sample of the curry and the man's blood sample have been sent to the laboratory for forensic analysis.
According to a media report, if tests confirm peacock meat in the curry, stringent action will be taken against the man.
The peacock is India's national bird and, according to laws, it is illegal to own or capture peacocks. Any violation invites strict penalties. It is also protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
The peacock is widely found in east Assam, south Mizoram, certain regions of Jammu and Kashmir, and in the Indian peninsula.
A report stated that in earlier videos, Kumar was seen preparing wild boar curry, among others.
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