INDIAN officials have "arrested" 18 lions to find to try and root out a man eating beast suspected of killing three people.

Forest workers in Gujarat state are planning to test the lions' paw prints and excrement in an attempt to identify the killer cat.

3 18 beasts have been put of trial and are facing life behind bars if found guilty of killing people Credit: Getty Images

If 'convicted' the guilty beast will be banged up in a zoo for the rest of it's days while the 'innocent' lions will be released back into the Gir sanctuary.

Six attacks on humans have been reported in the area recently, which is the only habitat of the endangered Asiatic lion.

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Gujarat's top forest official, JA Khan, said that the big cats had been collared over the past two months and were now being held in separate cages while tests were carried out.

He said:"We think we have pinpointed the guilty lion, but we are still awaiting the results of nine more animals."

3 The innocent beasts will be released back into the sanctuary following the trial Credit: Getty Images

3 Experts are examining the big cats faeces and paw prints to catch the guilty party Credit: Getty Images

Speaking to the BBC wildlife expert Ruchi Dave said the tests involved investigating the animals pug marks and faecal matter but added "the officials are also studying the animals' behaviour. Man eating lions usually get aggressive at the sight of a human being."

Govind Patel, the former chief wildlife warden of Gujarat, told the Indian Express that Gir could accommodate only 270 lions, forcing some prides to settle outside the boundaries of the sanctuary.

India's Supreme Court has ruled that Gujarat needs to relocate some of its lions to other states to avoid the possibility of disease or another disaster wiping out the entire population.

But the state has been reluctant to do so and has not yet complied with the order.