'Bigg Boss Kannada' Contestant Varthur Santhosh Arrested

Varthur Santhosh, who has been part of the ongoing 'Bigg Boss Kannada 10' show, was arrested by forest department officials on Sunday.

As per the reports in the Kannada media, he was arrested for wearing a tiger claw pendant in the ongoing reality show.

Acting on a public complaint, the forest department arrived at the 'Bigg Boss' house and requested the officials to have the contestant bring the chain outside for an inspection on Sunday.

After the examination, the officials confirmed that the animal claws were real. Subsequently, they requested the 'Bigg Boss' organizers to send the said contestant out of the show for investigation.

An FIR has been lodged in connection with the case and the forest department is actively pursuing an inquiry into the origin and intended use of the pendant under scrutiny. It is crucial for them to establish whether the claw originates from a tiger or another animal.

Speaking to India Today, Deputy Conservator of Forest Ravindra Kumar, said, "It was a public complaint after he was seen wearing tiger claws. After the complaint, we went to inspect it in Bigg Boss studio near Komaghatta and requested the authorities to handover the locket. After dilly dallying for some time, they agreed to hand it over to us."

He further added, "I inspected the golden pendant through proper procedure so we could find out if it was a genuine tiger claw. We further instructed the Bigg Boss authorities to produce him before us. I inquired him about it and he said that he got it in Hosur three years ago. After he agreed in front of the camera, we arrested him at around 8:30 pm. This is a violation of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Tigers are considered a highly endangered species. It attracts a maximum punishment of three to seven years of punishment."

This is for the first time in the history of the Kannada reality show that a contestant is being arrested from the house.