A contestant of a Kannada reality show was arrested by forest department officials for allegedly wearing a tiger claw pendant, officials said on Monday. The action came after a complaint that Varthur Santhosh was wearing such a pendant on Bigg Boss Kannada, which was being telecast, they said.
Varthur Santhosh. (HT_PRINT)
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A team led by Bengaluru Urban Deputy Conservator of Forests N Ravindra Kumar went to the place where the show was being shot and made the arrest on Sunday night.
According to the forest department officials, on reaching the sets the team handling the show was informed and asked to bring Santhosh outside the studio.
Thereafter, upon verification, it was confirmed that he was indeed wearing a pendant of a tiger claw, following which he was arrested under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Speaking to PTI, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Kumar Pushkar said, "Our team verified the tiger claw that he was wearing. After verifying that it was a tiger claw, he was taken into custody and the interrogations are going on. Wildlife Protection Act is quite strict in this...We will be seeking his judicial custody for a few days because we need to investigate the case."
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Speaking to PTI, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Kumar Pushkar said, "Our team verified the tiger claw that he was wearing. After verifying that it was a tiger claw, he was taken into custody and the interrogations are going on. Wildlife Protection Act is quite strict in this...We will be seeking his judicial custody for a few days because we need to investigate the case."
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During interrogation, Santhosh told the forest officials that he had bought the tiger claw pendant from a place in Tamil Nadu's Hosur town bordering Karnataka for ₹20,000 about three years ago, according to another forest officer.
"His claims need to be verified and he has to be interrogated further in connection with the case," he said. Santhosh was produced before a magistrate and has been remanded in 14-day judicial custody.
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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