Video: 2 Gujarat men beat crocodile with stick to death, arrested

A video showing the killing of a crocodile has gone viral from Gujarat’s Vadodara district. The incident took place at night when two locals allegedly beat the crocodile with sticks after it strayed out of a nearby pond, killing it and later throwing the body back into the lake. Following public outrage after the video spread on social media, the Forest Department acted swiftly and arrested the two accused, identified as Vitthal Nayak and Bipin Nayak, both farm labourers from the village, and sent them to jail. The crocodile’s body has been recovered and a post-mortem conducted. As the crocodile is a Schedule-I protected animal, the offence is non-bailable and carries a punishment of three to seven years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh under wildlife laws. The Forest Department has completed its investigation and will soon file a chargesheet in court, where the final punishment will be decided.