Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 27 (IANS): Jungle safari bookings of a top judicial officer were cancelled at Amangarh Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Bijnor district after police briefly took possession of four gypsies, prompting the forest department to seek a report from ATR authorities.

According to the forest officials, the judicial officer along with his family reached the ATR for safari on Sunday evening without any prior booking. When the judicial officer reached there, they said the four gypsies were already full.

A forest official said, "The Rehar police misbehaved with a forest guard when he did not allow the judicial officer's private vehicle to enter ATR."

Angry at the refusal of the forest guard, police took possession of four gypsies and also took forest guard Manoj Kumar to the police station, the forest official said.

Rehar police station SHO Manoj Parmar said, "A judicial officer had come to visit Amangarh Tiger Reserve and he did not like the behaviour of the forest department staff. He called us and directed us to check papers of the gypsies deployed for the jungle safari. We took possession of four gypsies, but later let them go as we found all papers valid."

Meanwhile, Bijnor divisional forest officer Anil Kumar Patel has sought a report from Amangarh ranger about the matter.

Patel said, "A dispute had erupted between the police and forest staff over the entry of a private vehicle into ATR. The judicial officer had not booked our vehicle for safari. Rehar police forced us to allow entry of the judicial officer's private vehicle into ATR, but our staff had objected to it. Police had taken our vehicles into their possession and we had to cancel safari bookings on Sunday evening. I have sought a comprehensive report of the incident from the ATR ranger."