Shiv Sena MLA 'admits' to killing tiger, flaunting its tooth in necklace

Buldhana (Maharashtra), Feb 22: An MLA of Maharashtra's ruling Shiv Sena MLA has "confessed" to reportedly hunting and killing a tiger nearly four decades ago, and now wears its tooth in a necklace.

Buldhana MLA Sanjay Rambhau Gaikwad, belonging to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s ruling Shiv Sena, made the stunning claim during a Shivaji Jayantai function here a couple of days ago.

Videos of Gaikwad making the proud proclamation have gone viral on social media, eliciting both angry and shocked responses from users.

In the video, Gaikwad is being casually queried about the tiger tooth necklace, along with other necklaces he is seen wearing, and he readily provides an explanation.

"This is the tooth of a tiger. I had hunted it in 1987 and then removed it (the tooth)," said Gaikwad, and then laughed.

At one point, the lawmaker clarified that it was not a leopard tooth, but that of a tiger which he had ostensibly killed – though killing the tiger is banned in India since 1972.

Although he did not specify where or how he made the tiger killing, Buldhana has the Dnyanganga Wildlife Reserve which is said to be frequented by the ig cat, besides six other dedicated tiger sanctuaries in different parts of eastern Maharashtra.

The eastern districts of Maharashtra have around 440 tigers in the wild as per the last tiger Census in 2023, spread around in the sanctuaries at Melghat, Pench, Tadoba, Sahyadri, Bor and Navegaon-Nagzira.