<i>Lagaan</i> chinkara death investigated
News
oi-Staff
By Super Admin
Monday,
July
10,
2006
Bhuj
(UNI):
After
Salman
Khan's
conviction
in
a
poaching
case,
filmstar
Aamir
Khan,
who
had
used
a
chinkara
while
shooting
his
Oscar-nominated
film
Lagaan,
may
soon
face
charges
of
cruelty
to
the
rare
deer.
Confirming
this,
Conservator
of
Forests
for
Kutch
region
R
L
Meena
said
Aamir
had
requested
the
Deputy
Forest
Conservator
(DFC)
for
a
chinkara
which
was
to
be
used
in
a
scene
of
his
film.
''Though
the
DFC
informed
the
Conservator,
permission
to
give
him
the
deer
was
not
sought
from
Principal
Chief
Conservator
of
Forests,
who
is
only
authorised
to
give
such
permits,''
he
told
UNI.
He
said
he
would
consult
the
Chief
Wildlife
Warden
of
the
state
in
the
matter
and
seek
his
permission
to
conduct
an
inquiry
against
the
officials
concerned
and
Aamir.
Aamir
had
shot
major
parts
of
the
film
in
Kutch
region,
especially
in
Banni
area
or
near
Mandvi
coast.
The
chinkara
was
required
for
a
scene
shot
in
Kunaria
village
of
Bhuj
tehsil,
in
which
an
English
official
shoots
at
the
animal
and
Aamir,
in
the
role
of
a
villager,
saves
it
and
helps
it
escape
into
the
forest.
DFC
S
T
Chaturvedi
had
told
the
Conservator
that
one
chinkara,
seized
from
a
person
in
Khavda
village,
was
available
with
the
Department,
which
could
be
given
for
the
film
shooting.
Mr
Meena
said
that
keeping
a
chinkara
in
custody
is
illegal
and
even
the
then
Principal
Chief
Conservator
of
Forests
G
A
Patel
had
asked
for
an
explanation
as
to
why
the
deer
had
not
been
let
out
in
the
forest.
Under
the
Forest
laws,
the
department
is
under
obligation
not
to
hold
such
captured
animals
in
captivity
but
to
release
them
into
the
forest.
But
the
matter
had
not
been
pursued
as
Mr
Patel
superannuated
soon
after.
It
was
learnt
that
at
that
time
there
were
three
chinkaras
in
the
custody
of
the
Forest
department,
of
whom
two
died
and
one
was
released.
The
chinkara
used
for
the
film
died
few
weeks
later.
While
the
post
mortem
of
one
chinkara
was
conducted,
it
was
not
done
in
case
of
the
deer
which
was
used
for
the
film
shooting.
''If
we
get
evidence,
we
would
lodge
a
complaint
against
the
officials
and
the
film
actor
too,''
Mr
Meena
said.
Chinkara
is
a
scheduled
animal
under
the
Wildlife
Protection
Act.
''It
is
a
rare
deer
-
even
teasing
or
chasing
it
is
an
offence,
punishable
under
the
Act.
Imprisonment
could
be
upto
three
years,''
he
added.
Some
locals
had
complained
to
Mr
Meena
regarding
the
matter.