Villagers up in arms as film crew vehicles allowed access to sacred Himavad Gopalaswamy hills

Chamarajanagar

The tranquil Himavad Gopalaswamy hills in   district, nestled within the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, have become the epicenter of controversy as angry villagers question the forest department’s double standards in enforcing wildlife protection rules.

Villagers are up in arms after a Malayalam film crew from Kerala was allowed to drive private vehicles to the hilltop — a privilege denied to tourists and devotees under existing forest department rules. These regulations were put in place to safeguard the region's fragile biodiversity, home to tigers and other wildlife, by restricting access to state-run KSRTC buses from the foothills.

Sources reveal that the film crew reportedly secured permission from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) to shoot at the scenic hilltop. However, villagers allege that this permission does not exempt the crew from following the same transportation rules applicable to the general public.

“The forest department imposed strict regulations to protect wildlife, banning all private vehicles. Then how could they allow a film crew to violate the same rules? This is a clear case of favoritism,” a local resident said, demanding accountability from the officials involved.

In response to the growing uproar, sources close to Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre stated that although permission was granted by the PCCF, it was the responsibility of the local forest officers to ensure that standard protocols were followed during the shoot.

The villagers have now called upon the top brass of the forest department to take swift action against those who permitted this breach, warning that such selective enforcement undermines the very spirit of conservation that these rules aim to uphold.