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In a bizarre incident, some villagers caught a mammoth dolphin that strayed into Sharda canal and later had a fish party in Sitapur on Sunday evening. Upon learning of the incident, the Forest department lodged a case against a dozen persons, including a father-son duo, and one was arrested. Further investigations are on.
As per reports, some residents of Dahirapur and Takiya Sultanpur hamlets in Hargaon police station area of Sitapur were fishing in Sharda canal when they caught a dolphin which had strayed into the stream on Sunday evening. The villagers later cut the fish and distribute it among themselves. When a video of the fish party went viral, officials of the Forest department sat up to take cognizance on Monday evening.
Ranger Samar Bahadur Singh rushed to the spot soon after and summoned Forest guard Kamlesh and later lodged a case against Mithun Kumar, his father Prithvi of Dahirapur along with 10 other villagers. Station Officer of Hargaon police station, DP Shukla said that Prithvi was arrested and efforts were underway to nab the other accused.
Earlier in January this year, three persons were arrested for beating a Gangetic dolphin to death with rods and axes at Kothariya village in Nawabganj police station of Pratapgarh on December 24. 2020. After a video their brutal act went viral on social media two days later, action was initiated against them.
Gangetic dolphin has been declared the National Aquatic Animal of India in 2009 and its killing is a punishable offence under Section 9/51 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.