Chinkara case: Warrants issued against Aamir

The Kutch police have left for Mumbai and Bangalore to deliver bailable warrants issued against Bollywood actor Aamir Khan and four others for filming Chinkara in his movie Lagaan.

"The Kutch police will take help of police commissioners of Mumbai and Bangalore to deliver the warrants to Aamir and others," sources in the forest department said.

A Bhuj court had issued bailable warrants against Aamir Khan, director of the movie Ashutosh Gowarikar, Aamir's former wife Reena Dutta, executive director Srinivas Rao and photographer Ashok Mehta on March 27.

Chief Judicial Magistrate court had also directed all the five to remain present before it on April 15.

The complaint against Khan and others was filed in the court by deputy forest officer J V Vyas, as they had not responded to the notices sent by the forest department asking them to remain present for questioning, sources said.

"The court has issued bailable warrants of Rs 5,000 for each. But if they do not remain present on April 15, the court can issue non-bailable warrants," they added.

One of the five persons, Ashok Mehta lives in Bangalore, while other four are from Mumbai and bailable warrants will be delivered to them by the police, sources further said.

Commercial filming of Chinkara, a Schedule I protected animal under the Wildlife Protection Act, without taking due permission is banned.

In the movie Lagaan, shooting was held mostly in Kutch, Chinkara footage was taken without the permission of the forest department, the sources said.