Ahmedabad: Film star Aamir Khan has been summoned for questioning on November 6 by the Gujarat forest department in connection with filming the endangered chinkara, officials said on Sunday.
"We have sent a notice to Aamir Khan to be present for questioning on November 6," State Forest Minister Mangu Patel said.
Forests officials are probing the case against Aamir, which dates back to the filming in Gujarat of Lagaan eight years ago. The chinkara is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Officials have said Aamir, the producer of Lagaan, did not take permission from the forest department for filming the endangered animal and thus violated the Act.
Aamir and his team filmed Lagaan in Kutch district, where forest officials said on Sunday that a preliminary probe had revealed that the producers did not take permission from the forest department to film the chinkara.
They said even though the animals were not harmed during the shooting, the producers and some officials had violated rules in allowing the shoot.
Moreover, they pointed out, the footage was used for commercial purposes, which is a blatant violation of the Wildlife Protection Act.
"If the filming was done in connection with a documentary or wildlife film, then there was no problem," a forest official said.
Sources said some forest officials will also be questioned in connection with the case.
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