An Indian YouTuber has reportedly been jailed after posting a video that showed him cooking and eating a peacock.
Kodam Pranay Kumar found himself on the wrong side of the law after sharing a video of himself cooking peacock curry on his channel for his 277,000-plus subscribers to see.
While it has since been deleted, the video received widespread backlash for promoting illegal wildlife consumption. Peacocks are a national symbol of India, which makes it illegal to harm them as per the nation’s Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
Police soon got wind of Kumar’s “peacock recipe” and promptly detained the YouTuber and began an investigation into the video.
YouTuber booked for Peafowl Curry Video, claims it’s “chicken curry”, samples sent to forensic lab YouTuber from Rajanna Sircilla district, Kodam Pranay Kumar, is under investigation after posting a video that claimed to show the preparation of a traditional peafowl curry. The… pic.twitter.com/vZK1mHpIT8
— Sudhakar Udumula (@sudhakarudumula) August 12, 2024
Following Kumar’s arrest on August 11, police allegedly claimed to find further footage on his phone proving the curry was, in fact, using peacock.
However, the YouTuber has insisted the dish actually contained Chicken and that video editing had been utilized to fake the appearance of making a peacock curry.
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“He is now in jail on 14 days remand under the Wildlife Protection Act and now the court would decide whether he’d remain inside or get a bail,” police superintendent of Telangana, Akhil Mahajan told Agence France-Presse.
The Times of India reported that Kumar’s house had been raided and samples of the dish had been taken so that it could be tested for confirmation. If the meat was found to be peacock, Mahajan assured that “the strictest action” would be taken against Kumar.
The police are also currently investigating how Kumar may have obtained the suspected peacock and emphasized the negligence the YouTuber showcased by promoting the killing of a protected species.
The peacock has been India’s national bird since 1963 and if found guilty of killing a peacock, Kumar may face up to seven years imprisonment and a fine upwards of ten thousand rupees (approximately $119 USD).