Wayanad: Forest personnel here on Monday took a 15-member team into custody for allegedly trespassing into a reserved forest range to shoot a documentary. According to officials, the documentary crew, including Keralites, started filming in the restricted zone of the jungle without obtaining the mandatory permissions. 

Five people from Hyderabad, six Keralites, and four employees of a nearby resort were taken into custody from the Mappila Thalamudi forest zone near Aranamala. This area falls under the jurisdiction of the Mundakkai Forest Station in the South Wayanad Forest Division.

The four individuals from Hyderabad are Ramanthpur natives Pulli Harinadh (documentary director), Bandha Prasanth, Puli Chaithanya Sai, Perukalapudi resident Thadeppalli Ramesh Babu, and Ani Shetti Revanth Kumar from Ramoji Rao Film City (cameraman).

The Keralites in the team are Sreehari S Puthur, Sreehari S, Abhiraj Shankaramangalam, Pavan B Nair, Praveen Roy P (all from Kottayam), and Sumesh M from Alappuzha.

The resort staff members arrested by forest officials include Sarun Krishna from Kozhikode, Muhammed Abdul Majeed from Palakkad, Chanjal Prasad from Wayanad, and Athul K from Kozhikode.

According to forest officials, a team led by Beat Forest Officers Vinod VK and Rijesh B interrupted the illegal shoot in the restricted area and took all 15 individuals into custody. Devices, including cameras, drones, smoke guns, and dummy guns, were seized from the documentary crew.

South Wayanad Divisional Forest Officer Ajith K Raman told Onmanorama that a case has been registered against the 15 individuals for trespassing into the forest and filming without permission.

“The documentary crew may have been ignorant of the rules and regulations, but the resort staff should have informed them about the mandatory permissions required before shooting in the jungle,” he pointed out.

"We have released them on bail. Illegal trespassing is a serious offence that carries stringent punishment, including hefty fines," he added.