2 min readPuneNov 14, 2011 03:40 AM IST
First published on: Nov 14, 2011 at 03:40 AM IST
A group of 17 people led by a police inspector from Kolhapur was caught enjoying a liquor and food party in the prohibited area of the Chandoli National Park,part of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve,and fined Rs 25,000,officials of the state forest department said.
The group had entered the core area, in that part of the Tiger Reserve bordering Kolhapur district in Western Maharashtra,without permission in a gypsy van and seven two-wheelers,carrying a tent,rope and utensils for cooking mutton,forest officials said. They entered the prohibited area sometime on November 10 and camped near Ramnadi where they held a liquor party,they added.
On November 11 morning,forest guards at Udgir forest chowki found tyre marks of vehicles in the prohibited area and informed their seniors of the matter. Forest department officials followed the tyre marks and caught the group partying in the core area of the Tiger Project.
We did not find any weapons or suspicious items in possession of the group. But they entered the prohibited core area without permission. They violated Section 27 of the Wildlife Act 1972. We released the group after collecting a fine of Rs 25,000. All of them had come from Kolhapur, said assistant conservator of forest S L Zure.
The group included two police officials attached to Kolhapur police. One was a police inspector and other a constable. We took action against them as they had entered core area, said Zure.
Sources said that an advocate,a bank chairman,few businessmen and some youngsters were part of the group. They ignored the Entry Prohibited signs put up by forest department. When the forest department team found them,the police inspector initially behaved arrogantly and tried to escape the fine saying he had come to the area for investigation of a crime,they said.
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