Forest officials split over Ravindra Jadeja's selfie case
Forest officials are split over what actions to adopt against the cricketer after he ignored laws and trespassed prohibited areas at the Gir wildlife sanctuary. Some officials wish to book him under the Wildlife Protection Act and proceed to take strict action against Jadeja. A few other officers wished to book him under the Indian Forests Act and ask him to pay a fine.
Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja takes selfie amidst lions
Earlier last month, on a visit to India on June 14, Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja posed to take a selfie amidst lions at the Gir wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat. He was accompanied by his wife, and several other forest officials while touring the sanctuary. The sanctuary prohibits an individual from getting off the forest jeep and take pictures. The selfie went viral, stirring controversy.
Widlife officials files probe
The Gujarat Forest Department filed a public interest litigation at the Gujarat High Court, requesting an inquiry into the cricketer's pictures taken at the sanctuary. This is the only sanctuary across the world where Asiatic lions are kept in the wild, after being listed as endangered in 2008. Since forest guards were also in the photograph, the sanctuary's superintendent conducted the probe.
Jadeja to face penalty over photographs at sanctuary
"The Gir National Park and Sanctuary is a protected area and people are not supposed to get down (from) their vehicle during safari," - A.P.Singh, chief forest conservator said, and said that the penalty would be decided upon after the investigation.
Jadeja pleads ignorance of forest regulations
Yesterday, Gujarat's Forest Department obtained cricketer Jadeja's statement after investigations. The officials had summoned him to Sasan or Jungadh to record the cricketer's statement, although he did not report for the statement. Later, a phone recording was taken as a statement. Jadeja said that he had been unaware of the rules and regulations, and had not known that photographs were prohibited.
Forest official on Jadeja's case
"Taking strict action against Jadeja would mean that the department will have to act against the two range forest officers found standing with him in the sanctuary when he got down from his car," a senior official said.
