Wildlife chief asked to explain Leh animal torture
(No Ratings Yet)The Delhi High Court Thursday asked Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Wildlife Warden A.K. Srivastava to explain why did he allow Hindi film producer Akbar Khan to shoot his magnum opus `Taj Mahal’ using animals in extremely cold conditions in 2004.
A divison bench of Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice H.R. Malhotra sought the explanation from Srivastava, who appeared before the court in response to a bailable warrant issued against.
The bench directed him to file his reply by March 13 to the allegations that he had permitted Taj Mahal producer to use 2,000 camels, horses and elephants in the sub-zero temperature in Ladakh during the shooting of the film in 2004. The allegations were made by the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in a public interest petition.
The court had on Jan 25 issued bailable warrant against him for evading court notice and summons in the case since December 2005.
Counsel Raj Panjwani appearing for PETA alleged that the animals, which were not used to severe cold climate, had suffered a lot.
It is mandatory under the Indian Wildlife Act to seek permission from a state’s wildlife chief before commencing the shooting of a film using any animal.
— IANS
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