Gujarat: Three friends arrested for harassing two lions

RAJKOT: Three people were arrested for teasing and harassing two lions in Rampara village of Rajula taluka in Amreli district on Friday.
According to the forest department, Dula Vagh (22), Savaj Vagh (21) and Naka Vagh (22) were arrested and booked under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act.
They allegedly harassed two lions near their village when the big cats were preying on an animal on the night of July 20. The three were detained for interrogation on July 21.
In-charge assistant conservator of forest, Nilesh Vegda, said: "These three people did not allow a lion and a lioness to feed on the prey. They forced them to run away, chased them on a bike, recorded a video, had a selfie with the lions and also uploaded the video on social media.''
Of the three, Naka Vagh is a repeat offender. He had been arrested a few years back for a similar crime and released on bail. All the three are friends and residents of the same village.
In the video they recorded from a speeding bike, a lioness is seen running at a high speed on a bridge and it was running in fear.
Forest officials found several other videos and photos of lions being teased from their mobile phones. They are investigating these videos.
They were produced before a court that sent them to judicial custody.