BARGARH: A social media influencer of Bargarh district has landed in soup for painting an image of Lord Jagannath on the shell of a turtle before releasing it back into the water.
In a formal complaint submitted to the principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) and the chief wildlife warden of Odisha, general secretary of Snake Helpline Subhendu Mallik accused social media influencer Ashish Meher of Bijepur of hunting an Indian Flap Shell Turtle, a Schedule-I species protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
A video, which has been widely circulated on social media, shows Meher forcibly handling the turtle, painting its back with synthetic colours to depict Lord Jagannath, carrying the reptile on a bike, and eventually releasing it into a water body without removing the paint.
“This act is not only a clear violation of section 9 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, but also breaches the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Moreover, since turtles are considered divine incarnation in Hindu belief, painting an image of Lord Jagannath on its shell in this manner and leaving it back in the river is disrespectful and deeply hurts religious sentiments,” said Mallik.
The complaint called for Meher’s immediate arrest, citing an earlier directive issued by the chief wildlife warden to take strict action against such offences.
While wildlife activists said such videos may encourage others to commit similar acts for social media attention, the influencer with over 10,000 followers on Facebook has removed the video following the controversy.