Odisha’s YouTuber couple absconding since raid on house surrenders  

A YouTuber couple Monalisha Bhadra and her husband from Jajpur district, who have been booked under Section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 for keeping wild animals and uploading their photos and videos on social media platforms, surrendered on Wednesday night. 

Monalisha and her husband had been on the run since Sunday when a joint team of Jajpur Road and Cuttack Forest departments conducted raids on their house on charges of keeping wild animals and uploading their videos on social media platforms. 

Also Read: Social media users to face action for posts on wild animals: Odisha PCCF

Informing about the development, Jajpur Road range officer, Jyoti Ranjan Mohapatra said, “The Bhadra couple surrendered.   The ACF is investigating the case. Once the investigation is over, steps will be taken against them as per law. The couple has been booked under Section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.”  

The Forest Department is presently keeping a tight rein on those who have kept wild animals and are uploading their photos and videos on social media platforms. As a part of this exercise, the YouTuber couple were earlier asked to refrain from keeping wild animals in their house and posting their photos and videos on social media platforms. 

Throwing caution to the wind, the couple continued to upload photos and videos of wild animals on social media platforms. 

Eventually, a joint team of Jajpur Road and Cuttack Forest departments conducted raids on Bhadra’s house and seized a monkey. The animal was brought to the forest department’s office in Jajpur Road. However, the couple somehow got the wind of the raid and fled from the place before the arrival of the Forest Department team.