Anticipatory bail granted to S.K. Keshavanathan for lar gibbons charges
S.K. Keshavanathan, who runs a farm in Perundurai, has been granted anticipatory bail after being charged with not registering three lar gibbons and failing to report the death of another, both required under wildlife law.
The court imposed a surety of ₹25,000 and directed him to sign at the Forest Department office for 15 days.
Viral actor Vikram video prompted inspection
The case kicked off when a recent video of actor Vikram with Lar gibbons from Keshavanathan's farm went viral, prompting a Forest Department inspection.
Keshavanathan's counsel says he delayed registering the animals by eight days and didn't report one's death on time; his lawyer says a technical glitch was to blame.
Prosecutors argued against bail, citing serious violations and risk of evidence tampering.
Meanwhile, the fate of 11 exotic animals seized from his farm, including African serval cats and tufted capuchins, is still up in the air as the hearing was adjourned to August 22.