Satpura Reserve: Raveena Tandon says jeep was on track as probe starts

Mumbai: Actor Raveena Tandon on Wednesday said she was travelling in a jeep licensed by the forest department which didn't deviate from the designated "tourism path", after Satpura Tiger Reserve authorities launched an inquiry over a video which purportedly showed her in a vehicle driving close to a tigress in the protected area.

Tandon, who visited the reserve on November 22, in a tweet said she was accompanied on the safari by trained guides and drivers provided by the department.

Sharing a November 25 video report of a local news channel, the actor said on Twitter, "#satpuratigerreserve .@News18MP reports. A tiger gets close to the deputy rangers bike.

"One can never predict when and how tigers will react. It’s the Forest Department licensed vehicle, with their guides and drivers who are trained to know their boundaries and legalities (sic)." According to Tandon, she and fellow passengers sat quiet and watched the tigress move on.

"We were on the tourism path, which mostly these tigers cross. And Katy the tigress in this video as well, is habituated to coming close to vehicles and snarling," she said.

Tigers are kings of where they roam, she wrote in another tweet, adding they were "silent spectators".

"Any sudden movements can startle them as well," the 48-year-old actor added.

The video, which surfaced on social media platforms, showed the safari vehicle reaching close to the tigress. In the clip, camera shutters are heard making sounds and a tigress is seen roaring at them in the reserve located in Madhya Pradesh's Narmadapuram district.

Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) of Forest Dheeraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said following the directives of senior officials, he has started a probe into the alleged incident.

He said during Tandon's visit to the reserve, her vehicle allegedly reached near the tigress.

The vehicle driver and the officials on duty there will be served a notice and questioned, the official said.

The probe report will be submitted to senior officials for further action, he said.

Tandon had shared the pictures of her visit to the Satpura Tiger Reserve on her social media handles. She had also posted the photographs of tigers which she clicked during her visit to the reserve.