Sitapur (UP), May 19 (IANS): Twelve persons have been booked for killing a rare fresh water dolphin from the Sharda auxiliary canal.

Fresh water dolphins are categorised as endangered species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature red book.

The FIR was lodged after a video of the incident started doing the rounds on social media.

Sitapur superintendent of police (SP), Rakesh Prakash Singh said that one Prithivi Sahu has been arrested and two teams formed to arrest the other accused.

He said a group of villagers in Hargaon area, on Sunday, caught the dolphin from the auxiliary canal, which passes through the district and is used for fishing by the locals, in the fishing net and killed it.

The SP further said that "The villagers apparently divided the meat among themselves. However, one of the locals recorded the act which was later circulated widely on social media platforms and caught the attention of forest officials."

Based on the video evidence, local forest officials lodged the FIR at Hargaon Police station against 12 people who were booked under the Wild Life Act.