The couple asserts that their property is a private residence situated on legally registered residential land. Authorities at the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh have requested B Srinivas Kumar, a senior Indian Revenue Service officer, and his wife Himani Sarad, an employee at the Supreme Court, to clarify a contentious construction within the reserve’s eco-sensitive zone. This action by the forest department followed allegations that the couple had constructed a hotel or resort in the protected area. An action report submitted on September 9 by Panna field director Naresh Kumar Yadav noted that officials visited the site on September 3, seized a saw machine, and issued formal notices to the couple.
This report was forwarded to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the Head of Forest Force in Bhopal. The couple denies any allegations of misconduct, maintaining that the structure is their private home and not a commercial establishment. They assert that the land is properly registered, mutated, diverted for residential use, and marked by local revenue authorities. The investigation is in progress as forest officials assess the legality of the construction within the eco-sensitive area.