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Why a man sold lizard genitalia online: Occult beliefs come up against wildlife laws in Faridabad
Yagya Dutt, 38, arrested from Faridabad was posing as an astrologer and selling remains of protected wildlife in the name of spiritual healing
Why would anyone be carrying genitalia of monitor lizards and remains of soft corals? These items linked with tantric rituals and other occult beliefs were allegedly being sold by Yagya Dutt, a 38-year-old man arrested from Faridabad on Wednesday.
Posing as an astrologer, he was allegedly selling the lizard genitalia (locally known as ‘hatha jodi’) and soft coral ('indrajaal') from his office in the name of spiritual remedies. His business was online too.
The seizure list included three pieces of monitor lizards genitalia and five pieces of soft coral.
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These items originate from protected species. The monitor lizard, in particular, is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which gives it the highest level of legal protection. Possession or trade of its body parts is a punishable offence.
If convicted, he faces a prison term of three to seven years.
Yagya Dutt was caught in a raid conducted by the Haryana forest department, the state police, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), and the Wildlife Trust of India, on a tip-off.
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“He misused his profession to sell banned wildlife products disguised as spiritual aids. This is a serious violation,” said RK Jangra, divisional forest officer, Gurugram.
Environmentalist Vaishali Rana was invited as an independent legal observer during the raid, HT reported.
“There were price tags, packaging, and digital records showing commercial intent. Wildlife exploitation is being masked behind superstition,” she said.
Authorities also seized Dutt’s mobile phone and digital data for forensic analysis to trace the supply network. A case has been registered at Sector 8 police station in Faridabad under sections of the Wildlife Protection Act.
“This case highlights the need for stronger awareness and strict monitoring. We are committed to cracking down on illegal wildlife trade,” said Jangra.
