Hyderabad: Hyderabad Police have rescued several exotic animals and arrested seven people including the owner of a pub who exhibited these animals.
On May 30, the sleuths of Commissioner's Task Force (West Zone Team, Hyderabad) along with Forest Department officials conducted a raid at a pet store Styled as "Hyderabad Exotic Pets", Saidabad, Hyderabad for organizing and exhibiting wild animals at Xora Pub under the limits of Jubilee Hills police station.
The Owner of Xora Pub & event organizers conducted an event in the name of 'Wild Night' on May 28 with DJ Ubba (Mumbai) for attracting customers. The accused are identified as Vinay Reddy (Owner of Xora Pub and organiser of the event), Varahala Naidu (Manager of Xora Pub), Tarun, Vamshi, Yaser and Karthik. Although, the accused Prudhvi absconded.
According to an official statement, the police rescued 14 Persian Cats, 3 Bengal Cats, 2 Iguanas (Lizards), Pair of Cockatoos, a Sun Congure (Parrot), and 2 Sugar Gliders.
"Vinay Reddy, owner of Xora Pub, who resides at Road no. 36 under the threshold of Jubilee Hills organised an event in the name styled 'Wild Night', on May 28. The purpose was to capture the eyeballs of customers and do publicity for the club. His employees and event organizers Prudhvi (Operational Manager), Varahala Naidu (Manager of Pub), Tarun (owner of Happywag Pets, Hyderabad), Vamshi (Seller of pet animals), Karthik (Sells pet animals) and Yaser(Owner of Hyderabad exotic pets) organized and exhibited wild animals for the customers at the Pub. They displayed Bengal Cats, Ball Pythons, and Iguanas at the pub without any valid permission", said the police.
Adding further, it said, "On information, the West Zone Task Force, Hyderabad along with Forest Department officials raided one store styled as "Hyderabad Exotic Pets, Saidabad, Hyderabad" and rescued the animals".
The statement also said that the accused and the rescued animals have been handed over to the Forest Department Police for further action.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)