Ranchi-based astrologer held with 22 ‘hattha jodi’
| Date :07-Nov-2019 |
Staff Reporter :
In a major breakthrough by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Central Region, Jabalpur, an accused was arrested with 22 ‘hattha jodi’ (penis of monitor lizard) on Tuesday from Ranchi city in Jharkhand state. In a bid to keep check on the illegal sale of wild animals and their body parts for nefarious activities, since last one month, the team of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was keeping watch and finally nailed the accused, who is an astrologer by profession and based at Ranchi. His arrest is likely to bust the inter-state network operating since many years in poaching, selling of parts of wild animals within the country and in other countries also. Team is interrogating the accused to find out his other accomplices and suppliers, who were helping him in running this trade. This operation was conducted by team of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Jabalpur with help from Jharkhand Forest Department and police team of Ranchi city.
Devendra Singh Rathore, Rajeev Kumar Dixit, Vipin Kumar Chaturvedi, are members of team from WCCB, Central Region, Jabalpur, who arrested the accused at Ranchi. The accused received supply of monitor lizard penis from Gujarat and hence it is suspected that accused and supplier must have more link with poachers in this state and other states. To hide his illegal act, the accused had floated website and running his trade online. This ‘hattha jodi’ is commonly believed to reap good fortune, during witchcraft, black magic and other such evil activities. Social networking sites are flooded with offers by many websites about sale of ‘hattha jodi’ to bring good fortune. It may be mentioned that on receiving inputs from their network of informers, WCCB team was observing the movement of suspects.
Then after proper planning raid was conducted successfully which led to arrest of accused and recovery of ‘hattha jodi’. As a matter of fact, WCCB recovered a ‘root’ which in market and online site was being sold with name of root and claimed to bring good fortune to buyers. But when DNA test was done and shockingly it was found to be penis of Monitor Lizard and commonly known as ‘hattha jodi’. Then WCCB started the operation to nab those involved in collecting and selling ‘hattha jodi’. Monitor Lizard is a big size lizard found in most states of Central India.