Nagpur: Forest division officials have arrested an ayurvedic medicine trader for possessing the copulatory organs of a monitor lizard and 11 sea fans, and 4 sandfish skins. The shop owner, Mayur Madhusudan Gupta was booked and arrested under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972.

The accused was remanded to one day of forest custody till Wednesday. For the court, this is a first-of-its-kind case and warrants the same section of the law as tiger poaching. Assistant Conservator of forest Narendra Chandewar stated that in recent years, the illegal trade of alleged Monitor lizard organs has increased multi-fold in several parts of India. Meanwhile, Nagpur deputy conservator of forests Bharat Singh Hada stated that there are irrational myths that oil derived from the lizard organs is useful in treating failing eyesight, tuberculosis, skin problems, etc.