Naxal menace is now affecting Karnataka’s wildlife. According to sources in the forest department Nawab Shafat Ali Khan, who was accused of supplying arms to Naxalite leader Patel Sudhakar Reddy, is said to own a private resort in Bokapuram, which is located 10 km away from Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
Many cases were registered against Khan in both Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu police stations for illegally supplying automatic weapons to naxals and also for animal poaching.
“The CID Forest Cell and police have been alerted about the information. Tamil Nadu and state police department officials are keeping a close watch of his activities,” said KSN Chikkerur, additional director general of police (forests).
It may be recollected that Bannerghatta Biological Park was made home to 22 dancing sloth bears from West Bengal because of Maoist threat in November last year.
The action was taken following the orders to Karnataka forest department. The bears were rescued by the Zoo Authority of Karnataka with the help from Wildlife SOS from West Bengal rescue centre.
The decision was taken when the Purulia forest department and West Bengal rescue centre received serious threats from Maoist insurgency groups to evacuate all staff from the forest area.
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