Man caught with endangered turtles

VADODARA: A man was caught with four turtles of an endangered species aboard a train on Monday from the railway station. Sources said the turtles belong to the Indian Star Tortoise species. The matter came to light when one of the turtles sneaked out of the bag in which they were kept. This created a commotion in the train and the travelling ticket examiner came to know about them.Ozil Dalal (30), a lyricist, was taking the turtles from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in Shatabdi Express. He lives in Mumbai and has worked with a prominent music director besides having composed jingles.
"Upon inquiring, Dalal said that the turtles were his own. He found them in Lonawala and had been keeping them as pets. The turtles are a protected species and we will take necessary steps against him," said range forest officer P B Chauhan.