Pune Crime Files | Tattoo artist held with monitor lizard parts; hunt linked to ‘Hatha Jodi’ superstition

In June this year, the Pune Crime Files saw the arrest of a 34-year-old tattoo artist named Malhar Lala Lokhande for possession of dried parts of a monitor lizard. The suspect was apprehended at Pune Railway Station in connection with illegal wildlife trade. Lokhande's accomplice managed to escape during the police raid. The seized dried organ belonged to a monitor lizard, locally known as 'ghorpad'.

According to forest officials, the accused had procured the parts from locals in Pune district's Junnar forests. They were booked under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 after being caught with the dried body parts.

Monitor lizards are protected under Schedule I of the Act and their dried hemipenes are sought after in the black market for their supposed ability to bring good fortune and resolve life's problems. The trade is a result of superstitious beliefs among some communities. Forest officials have been tracking down those responsible for hunting monitor lizards.

Several cases of such hunting have been reported in Maharashtra and other states. Recently, two more individuals were arrested in Pune with monitor lizard parts. Wildlife conservationists urge people to protect these creatures as they play a vital role in the ecosystem.