Berhampur: Police on Monday arrested a theatre artiste and an event organiser, days after actors of a play enacted at Ralab village of Hinjili block in Odisha’s Gamjam district ripped apart a live pig on stage, drawing widespread criticism.
Bimbadhar Gouda (45) was arrested from Khalikote area along with an event organiser for animal cruelty and breaching the Wildlife Protection Act after the Forest Department lodged a case in this connection.
While the play Ramayan was enacted during Kanjianala yatra in the village on November 24, a video of the same went viral on Sunday in which five actors performing the role of demon, tied a live pig to the ceiling and ripped apart its stomach with a knife. One of them then chewed a part of the animal’s intestine to make the play sequences seem real.
Two actors dressed as monkeys were also playing with two venomous snakes in the stunt sponsored by Bajarangi group of Hinjilicut.
Berhampur DFO Sunny Khokar, who had ordered a probe as it involved animal cruelty, said that an artistes and one of the organisers has been arrested. “We are investigating further, and others involved in the incident will be arrested soon,” he added.
While animal lovers demanded strict action against those responsible, BJP legislators Babu Singh and Sanatan Bijuli also expressed their strong disapproval of the incident during the assembly session.
