The forest department registered a case against the TV actor for illegally climbing the Arunachala Hills, a restricted area, near the Arunachaleswar temple in Tiruvannamalai town on Wednesday.
Forest officials said the intruder has been identified as Archana, a small-time TV actor from Chennai. Initial investigation revealed that Archana and her boyfriend had allegedly climbed the 2,668 feet hill a few days ago and she had shared a video clip of it on social media, sparking public outrage.
“There is a ban on hill climbing from 2024 on the orders of the District Collector after seven people, including children, died in a landslide triggered by Cyclone Fengal in the hills. Strict action will be taken against violators,” a forest official said.
Forest officials said that at present the hills are divided into eastern and western parts and cover over 900 hectares. Of this, the western side of the hills is RF with 699 hectares, while 2.99 hectares on the eastern side is Reserve Land (RL) under the Forest (Tamil Nadu) Act, 1882. The RL land is mainly used for tree planting by the revenue department.
Currently, the Forest Department has set up checkpoints at at least seven identified vulnerable locations in the hills to prevent encroachment. The ban is primarily intended to ensure the safety of wild animals in the hill forests, where over 5,000 spotted deer live. It will also prevent accidental forest fires.
Forest officials said the video clips recorded by the actress are being analyzed by the department. A case has been registered under the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882. Investigation is on.
Published – 28 Jan 2026 20:40 IST
