2 days ago
3 YouTubers arrested in Dhemaji for killing wild birds in viral videos
Dibrugarh: Three YouTubers were arrested in Dhemaji on Thursday for the brutal killing of wild birds and uploading graphic footage of their acts on their YouTube channel 'Jakrub'.
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The accused have been identified as Munindra Mushahary, Maheshwar Swargiary and Shiviram Swargiary.
The trio reportedly hunted birds and destroyed nests at the Pitoni region of Hastinapur and Kardoiguri villages, an ecologically sensitive area. They used slingshots to kill birds and collected hundreds of eggs from their nesting grounds. The videos, which showed the destruction of habitats and killing of birds, sparked outrage after being uploaded on their channel, which has 2.5k subscribers.
Dhemaji district commissioner Rahul Suresh Javir directed the forest department and police to take immediate action. Following this, in a joint operation by the Simen Chapori police and the forest department led to the arrest of the three individuals under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. While Mushahary was apprehended from Hastinapur, while Maheshwar and Shiviram were taken into custody from Lamka village.
While the accused deleted 33 videos from their channel, authorities had already preserved the footage as evidence. If convicted under the Wildlife Protection Act, the three accused face potential imprisonment ranging from three to seven years.
"It is deeply disheartening that on World Environment Day, we were confronted with such cases. The videos were horrific — showing blatant cruelty towards wildlife. It's appalling that people kill innocent birds just for YouTube views.
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Such acts cannot be tolerated and strict action will be taken against the accused," a forest official said.
District Commissioner Javir announced plans for comprehensive awareness campaigns in rural areas to prevent similar incidents and promote wildlife conservation. "There is an urgent need to raise awareness in rural areas about the importance of protecting birds and preserving nature. In the coming days, we will launch awareness campaigns to educate communities on wildlife conservation. There is the need for grassroots education about environmental protection," the DC said.
