Four Men Arrested For Gang Raping Monitor Lizard

Four men in the Indian state of Maharashtra have been arrested for allegedly raping a Bengal monitor lizard within a tiger sanctuary.

Gatekeepers News reports that the four suspects were taken into custody after a recording of them in the act was found one on of their phones.

If found guilty, they could face up to 7 years of jail time.

The suspects had trespassed the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, India to commit the act.

CCTV footage from the Maharashtra Forest Department showed the men on the reserve’s grounds, which enabled forest officials to track them down.

Forest officials also found numerous photos of hunting hare, mouse-deers, porcupines, and pangolins on one of the accused’s phones.

Besides that, authorities have also seized a poaching gun, two motorcycles, and a battery.

Three of the accused had evaded capture at first until they were later found in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.

Investigations revealed they had entered the reserve to hunt.

Following this, a date will be set for the suspects to appear in court and await sentencing.

If they are charged under the Wildlife Protection Act, they could be imprisoned for up to seven years.

At the same time, authorities are also considering charging him under IPC section 377 (Unnatural Offences).

This law accounts for voluntary ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman, or animal’, and those convicted may be imprisoned for life or for a term of up to 10 years and be fined.