Bengaluru, Oct 29 (IANS): Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Saturday said the people who possess the articles related to wildlife animals should surrender them to the government within two months.

"Before the arrest of Big Boss reality show contestant Varthur Santhosh from the sets of the show, there was no public awareness of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. After this development, people have come to know about the law and two months duration is given for them to surrender," he stated.

"Once the duration is over, the government will issue a circular in this regard," he said.

The minister further said that in 1972, when the Wildlife (Protection) Act was implemented, people were given a chance to declare and keep it with them.

"But, the law has been amended in 2003 and 2022. As per the 2022 amendment of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, keeping articles belonging to wild animals, wearing them, using them and collecting and transporting them are considered as a punishable offence," he said.

Kannada Big Boss contestant Varthur Santhosh was granted bail on Friday in connection with a case of wearing a tiger's claw pendant.

The court had earlier remanded him to 14-day judicial custody.

He was arrested from the reality show set in Bengaluru and sent directly to the prison as prima facie it was found that Santhosh was wearing a pendant made of tiger's claw.

On Friday, officials conducted a search at the residence of Minister for Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar in Belagavi.

The photo of her son Mrunal Hebbalkar wearing a tiger's claw pendant had gone viral on social media.

Earlier, the searches were conducted on the houses of Kannada actor and BJP Rajya Sabha member Jaggesh, superstar Darshan, actor and politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy, producer Rockline Venkatesh and others.

Darshan, a Deputy Reserve Forest Officer of Kalasa sub-division, has been suspended following a complaint demanding action against him for wearing a tiger's claw as a pendant.