'Tiger cubs on sale for Rs 25 lakh': Man arrested for posting WhatsApp status

For the past few days, a copy of the same WhatsApp status with a photo of a tiger cub for sale in Chennai and Vellore has been going viral on social media.

Vellore (TN):Police in Tamil Nadu have arrested a youth for posting a WhatsApp status announcing the sale of a tiger cub for Rs 25 lakh in Vellore. For the past few days, a copy of the same WhatsApp status with a photo of a tiger cub for sale in Chennai and Vellore has been going viral on social media.

Following it, the Vellore Forest Department reached out to the local police and after investigation, a man named Parthiban was arrested from the Katpadi area of the city for allegedly posting the status. Parthiban in his status had mentioned, "Three months old tiger cub for sale. Delivery within 10 days after booking. The price of a tiger cub is Rs 25 lakh".

Further investigation by the forest department also revealed that Parthipan is currently staying in a rented house in Charpannamedu area and is studying law in Tirupati. His friend, Tamil from Ambattur, Chennai, owns a pet shop. Parthiban said that he posted a WhatsApp status mentioning the sale of tiger cubs after his friend's request.

Later, based on the information given by Parthiban, Tamil was also arrested. The wildlife protection team is investigating whether they are actually having tiger cubs or not.