Wildlife authorities on Saturday registered cases against a TDP legislator and his aides in Andhra's West Godavari district for laying a road through the Atpaka bird sanctuary without permission.
Denduluru MLA and TDP leader Chintamaneni Prabhakar reportedly laid the road from the santuary office in Krishna district to the Komatilanka village in West Godavari district, using nearly 50 tractors and leveling the stretch before laying gravel over it.
Kaikaluru deputy ranger G. Eswara Rao told The Hindu that three cases have been registered under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and other wildlife laws against Prabhakar and four of his aides including Komatilanka panchayat sarpanch J. Syambabu and Komatilanka MPTC G. David Raju.
The case sheet also adds that Prabhakara was at the site and monitored the work till 3 am on Saturday. However, none of the staff from the sanctuary's office stopped the construction despite the road passing directly by the office.
The police have also registered two cases under the Section 447 and 355 of the IPC on charges of trespassing into the sanctuary and preventing forest officials from discharging their duties.
The newspaper also reported that flocks of open-billed storks and grey pelicans which had been nesting on either side of the road were disturbed, as movement of vehicles in the sanctuary itself is prohibited.