Notices to 15 websites fraudulently using Corbett tiger reserve's name

Authorities at Corbett tiger reserve have sent notices to 15 websites for fraudulently using its name to accept bookings from people for wildlife tourism and other facilities, officials said on Thursday.

"Notice has been sent to 15 such websites asking them to immediately consider removing claims in the name of Corbett failing which they may invite necessary legal action," said Sanjiv Chaturvedi, Director, Corbett tiger reserve.

He said the notice was also sent to GoDaddy India Web Services Pvt Ltd asking it to immediately suspend or terminate four such fraudulent websites – www.jimcorbettnationalpark.co.in, www.jimcorbettbooking.in, www.corbettnationalpark.com and www.corbettnationalpark.in -- hosted on its server.

“It is directed to immediately suspend/terminate the said websites with immediate effect, and to provide the registration details of both these websites including the name of the registering company, PAN card details, address, contact details, name of contact persons, etc.,” according to the notice sent by legal adviser of Corbett tiger reserve.

People can use Corbett tiger reserve's website – www.corbettonline.uk.gov.in -- to do the booking for the park, Chaturvedi said.

The officials said these websites were accepting booking in the name of Corbett from people, thus cheating them as those operating these portals would never take tourists to the main park most of the times.

Those booking through these fraud websites would eventually end up having a raw deal as they were being taken to the nearby forests by wrongfully claiming them to be part of Corbett tiger reserve, they said.

Corbett tiger reserve authorities have recently decided that it will not entertain references from VIPs requesting stay and safari facilities among others either for themselves or for their relatives and friends, instead these requests would be reported to their higher authorities.

Corbett park, which is spread in an area of around 1,200 sq.km, is situated at the foothills of the Himalayas. There are estimated 340 tigers in Uttarakhand, according to 2014 census of the big cats. Uttarakhand has three tiger reserves -- Corbett National Park (or tiger reserve), Rajaji Tiger Reserve and Kalagarh Tiger Reserve.