Four men have been arrested in India for allegedly raping a Bengal monitor lizard. According to media reports, the incident took place in Sahydari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.
Sandeep Tukram, Pawar Mangesh, Janardhan Kamtekar, and Akshay Sunil are four hunters suspected of breaking into the reserve and committing the crime. The accused were being probed after they were booked on March 31 for illegally entering the forest when the crime came to light, the official said. A video found on one of the accused’s phones shows the men gang-raping the lizard.
In addition to the video of the men sexually abusing the monitor lizard, officials also found photos of various animals such as porcupines and deer on their phones.
Only one of the accused was arrested at first, while the others fled. The last three were eventually discovered in Hativ village in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district. The men travelled from Konkan to hunt in Kolhapur’s Chandoli hamlet, according to officials.
