Indian star turtles.
Image for representation.
Credit: iStock Photo
Chennai police constable S Ravikumar, aged 41, was sacked from service after reportedly being identified by investigators as the key figure in an international racket which dealt with wildlife trafficking. Now, it has been found that Ravikumar had rented a two-storey house at Lakshmipuram, Kolathur in the city for the past nine months which he allegedly used for illegal activities, according to The New Indian Express.
Chennai Customs and state wildlife officials sealed the property after reportedly seizing as many as 647 native Indian scheduled wildlife species from there.
Although a group of detectives verified Ravikumar's participation in the trafficking racket, sources within the forest department claimed that his name has not been listed in the case they have filed.
According to neighbors, a person named Padmanabhan, who lived nearby, rented out the 600-square-foot house to Ravikumar and his wife for Rs 17,000 per month. They said they had moved there to operate Kolathur's well-known ornamental fish cultivation company.
"He never allowed anyone inside the house. It remained locked most of the time. Only he, his wife and three workers would come occasionally", said Sundaramurthy, one of the neighbours of Ravikumar. "Till the raid on Sunday morning, we did not know that Ravikumar was running such a business. He used to dress in a very simple manner, ride just a bike and drink tea with us at the shop near the house", he added.
Forest department officials reported that 237 Indian roofed and tricarinate hill turtles, 383 star tortoises, 3 black pond turtles, and 1 ordinary ball python were discovered kept in trays inside the house. As per a senior official of the forest department, 23 dead turtles were also discovered inside Ravikumar's house. Furthermore, all the native species that were found there are included under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.