Monday, March 21 2005 11:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jaipur: A team of CBI sleuths yesterday (Mar 20, 2005) began a probe into the reported disappearance of tigers in Sariska sanctuary, official sources said in Jaipur.

The team, headed by a deputy Inspector General, has sought the records of the last 10 years from the forest officials managing the wild reserve under Project Tiger, they said.

CBI officials, accompanied by an expert from Indian Institute of Wildlife, Dehra Dun, are also visiting habitat areas of big cats. They are gathering information from the villagers located in core areas of the sanctuary, the sources added.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had ordered CBI inquiry into the reports that no tiger had been sighted in Sariska Reserve for the last several months.

Meanwhile, the State Government has also constituted a task force to ascertain facts about the tigers and ordered an administrative inquiry by additional principal conservator of forest R N Malhotra to fix responsibility on forest officials and others employees responsible for fall in tiger population.