Controversy continues to dog the
helicopter crash in Corbett National
Park last year, with the Indian branch
of the World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF) filing a case recently in Delhi
High Court, for unauthorised flying
in the Project Tiger park. The helicopter's occupants, from the Thapar
group of industries, are said to have
broken several laws to hunt game in
the park.
The WWF case alleges members
of the Thapar family have been
poaching in the park for years and
were let off on a similar charge earlier because of political patronage.
The helicopter, belonging to a
Thapar firm, India International
Airways Pvt Ltd, crashed into the
Kakghar dam while making its third
landing on October 21, 1992. Park
officials came to know of the crash in December when police reported a
helicopter was missing.The Thapars
are reported to have retrieved the
aircraft illegally from the dam in
January. Bits of wreckage left behind
are now in the custody of the
UP police.
An enquiry panel set up by
Union minister of environment and
forests Kamal Nath, accused the Thapars in its report of having violated the Wildlife (Protection) Act, the
Forests Act and Civil Aviation regulations. The Thapars are said to have
entered the park without official permission, poached in the foresi, had
their helicopter deviate from the
flight path filed with aviation authorities and then fly at a low altitude
over the dam.
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