Bengaluru:
Tea. A local court in Narcipura issued summons to Kannada actor Darshan and his wife Vijayalaxmi on Friday, directed to appear before the court in connection with the illegal possession of the four-headed geese in his farmhouse.
The bar-headed swan is a rare migratory bird of the Middle East.
The court has ordered Darshan, his wife Vijayalaxmi and his farmhouse manager to appear in a person on 4 July.
Forest officials discovered prohibited birds at Darshan farmhouse at Campayana Hundi near the city of Mysuru.
In 2023, after the viral video of Darshan with birds, the actor’s farmhouse was raided. It led the confiscation of the four-headed geese.
The forest department alleged that the philosophy was in illegal occupation of birds.
A case was registered, and a charge sheet was presented in court against darshan and others.
There have also been reports of other farmhouses related incidents, including the death of Darshan Manager Sridhar and the actor’s visit to the campus after being granted bail in the Renukaswamy murder case.
Earlier, a video of Darshan playing with rare birds went viral on social media. Officials said that the actor had accepted an interview for his farm-headed giz in his farmhouse, and even shown the interviewer to the captive birds.
The Forest Department filed a case under Section 9, 39 and 51 Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022. If guilty, the accused can face imprisonment for three years.
During the raid, the authorities also found various types of imported foreign birds. The philosophy was asked to submit an ownership certificate, as the law allows some other bird species to be kept with proper documentation.
The seized birds were produced before the magistrate and later released in the forest.
Darshan, who is also accused of killing his fan Renukaswamy, is known for his affection for animals and birds. He is currently on conditional bail in the murder case. The prosecution has challenged bail in the Supreme Court.
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