Truck mows down lioness in Gujarat's Amreli; driver held

A truck driver has been arrested for allegedly running over a lioness in Gujarat's Amreli district, a forest official said on Sunday.

The accident occurred on Amreli-Savarkundla highway near Devaliya village of the district on April 24, an official said.

The accused, Rajesh Padariya, was speeding and ran over the lioness in the early hours of Tuesday, Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Viralsinh Chavda said.

He said that three teams were formed to track the accused, and he was arrested based on the CCTV camera footage and intelligence inputs.

The official said the teams scanned the surrounding areas, and the vehicle was identified based on footage from CCTV cameras at petrol pumps and around the incident site.

He said the accused was booked under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2022 and was sent to jail after his bail was rejected.