New Delhi: A video of a Gangetic dolphin being beaten to death by a group of men has gone viral on social media, leading to the arrest of three accused.
The incident took place on 31 December in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh.
Why would anyone do this to one of the warmest and most compassionate creatures in the world. #DolphinKilling #Pratapgarh pic.twitter.com/FAkMj76xK5
— Shreya Dhoundial (@shreyadhoundial) January 8, 2021
In the video, the group of men in Sharda canal waters near a village are seen hitting the dolphin with axes and sticks as the mammal bled to death.
The men had first trapped the dolphin in a net and then continued to assault it, holding it by its fin as the water turned red with its blood. Voices of local residents can be heard in the video with one of them saying — “Faltu mein maar rahe ho yaar (You are hitting the dolphin for no reason)”.
The aquatic mammal was later found lying lifeless near the canal. The dolphin had suffered multiple injuries, including severe wounds from the axe.
Police yet to determine motive
Pratapgarh Police tweeted that three men have been arrested.
Inspector Jitendra Singh, Kunda circle, Pratapgarh, told ThePrint, “Three of them have been arrested. Rahul, 20 years, son of Ayodhya Prasad, Anuj 20 years, son of Ram Pal, and Rahul, 19 years, son of Chote Lal, were arrested Thursday.”
All the three were identified from the video and are residents of a nearby village.
An FIR has been lodged under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, at the Nawabganj police station. Under this section, the accused, if held guilty, shall be punished with an imprisonment of 3-7 years and a minimum fine of Rs 10,000.
“Killing a Gangetic river dolphin is a punishable offence under the Act,” the inspector added. A post-mortem was conducted on the dolphin.
Pratapgarh Police also said that legal proceedings against the accused, who are in jail, is underway and the probe to identify the other accused is on.
“They killed the dolphin in an attempt to catch fish as the canal has shallow waters, but the exact motive is yet to be found,” the Singh said.
Gangetic river dolphin, an endangered species, is the National Aquatic Animal. Last year in August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced ‘Project Dolphin’ to boost the conservation of both river and sea dolphins in India.
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