A Tamil Nadu pastor has been arrested by the police after getting busted trying to sell a fake tiger pelt to raise money for the church, reports Deccan Chronicle. The counterfeit item was actually produced from calf’s skin, and the pastor was attempting to sell it for Rs 8 lakh.

The accused pastor, Shanmukham was attached as a pastor to a church in Krishnagiri but was resident in Chikkamagaluru, which was where a forest squad caught him trying to make the sale of the fake tiger skin. He was also carrying the pelt of a spotted deer, which on the other hand has turned out to be genuine and has been seized from him.

An examination of the supposed tiger’s skin had revealed it to be dyed calf’s skin that had been coloured with hair dyes to fool prospective customers.

Police believe that Shanmukham may have had the links to sell the fake pelt as he belonged to a tribe called the Hakki-Pakki and is thus familiar with hunting/poaching.