Why can’t you keep crocodiles as pets? 4 of them rescued from Madhya Pradesh house after I-T searches

Madhya Pradesh forest department officials rescued as many as four crocodiles from a house in the Sagar district. The action was taken after Income Tax personnel conducted raids at the place. The Income Tax personnel had tipped off about the presence of the reptiles at the house.

The property reportedly belonged to former BJP MLA Harvansh Singh Rathore, NDTV reported. The report stated that the Income Tax department has been raiding the houses of Rathore and former councillor Rajesh Kesharwani in Sagar since Sunday on allegations of evasion of crores in tax.

According to the Times of India, forest officials rescued crocodiles from a small pond within the residential premises of former BJP MLA Harvansh Singh Rathore in the Madhya Pradesh district. The pond is within the boundary of their residence but Rathore’s family disowned it. They said they had donated it to temple priests long ago.

They were also quoted as saying that they had written to the forest department several times to remove the crocodiles from the pond. Sources in the forest department confirmed that a letter was sent by the family in 2014. “Now, there are complications. First, we have to decide who owns the pond. Second, if the family had requested the forest department to shift these crocs, the onus is on the department as well,” a forest officer told the Times of India.

Madhya Pradesh Head of Forest Force Aseem Shrivastava told PTI that a case was registered under the Wildlife Protection Act. “The action was taken after forest department personnel were notified about the presence of crocodiles by IT sleuths,” he was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

“The health of the crocodiles is being examined. We will intimate the court about them and proceed accordingly,” Shrivastava said.

The officer did not say how many crocodiles were rescued or who was the owner of the house. However, PTI sources put the number of reptiles rescued at four.

About the accused

While a top IT official said searches were carried out at places connected to Rajesh Kesarwani, a bidi manufacturer, building construction contractor and former BJP corporator in Sagar, he refused to speak anything about crocodiles.

NDTV reported that the raids revealed tax evasion of ₹155 crore. Officials seized ₹3 crore in cash besides gold and silver jewellery, whose value would go up in crores. Kesarwani, who ran a beedi business along with Rathore, alone evaded tax worth ₹140 crore, said sources. He was also into construction business.

According to the report, Rathore is a businessman in Sagar district and a veteran BJP leader. He was elected as an MLA in the 2013 assembly polls. His father, Harnam Singh Rathore, was a minister in the Madhya Pradesh government.

Why can’t you keep crocodiles as pets?

Crocodiles are banned as pets in India under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 prohibits the trade in wild animals (and their articles) specified in its various Schedules.

Dealing in wild animals listed under Schedule I is prohibited under Part III Birds Section 49 of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Section 49 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 prohibits the purchase of captive animals, wild animals, animal articles, trophies, and meat derived from them by anyone other than a dealer or a person authorized to sell or transfer them under the Act.

The Indian government has taken a number of steps for protection and conservation of wildlife including crocodiles. Marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) and Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) are listed in Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 thereby providing “them highest degree of protection.”

According to the Times of India, saltwater crocodiles and gharial — both species of crocodiles are protected due to their conservation status. Additionally, they can pose a significant danger to human safety. Keeping them as pets may lead to increased human-wildlife conflict and threaten their survival in the wild.