Activists and AAP demand Rescue of Tigress Avni’s Cubs and a Judicial Probe

NP NEWS 24 ONLINE – It’s been 8 days since Avni was killed. Post-mortem shows she hadn’t eaten for 5 days. That means her cubs have not eaten since 13 days. We have come together to demand the immediate rescue of the cubs. Aam Admi Party (APP) demand that since Maharashtra Forest Department has shown lack of capability as well as empathy, a team be called from another state of India to complete this mission.

The APP claims that Avni has been portraits as Fake Encounter

As per the APP finding, according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). A Tiger has to come out of its own territory into human settlements and lurk on humans as its own prey and kill and eat the flesh of humans habitually to be labeled as a man-eater. Avni never left her own territory, the alleged kills had long gaps ruling out habitual behavior. There are 7 tigers in this zone and all the killings appear to be chance encounters. The foolish use of hand-gliders, dogs, perfumes, other animals as bait defies all norms.

The night hunting, that too without a veterinarian is a clear case of hunting and poaching and cannot be termed as a government’s effort.

The initial findings of the post-mortem report clearly show that the needle of the tranquilizing dart was in the subcutaneous region.

If indeed it was fired it at the alleged range of 8 to 10 meters it would have nestled deep into the muscles. And this precarious dart continued to hang from her skin during her supposed attack is stuff that even children will not believe.

The conversation of two forest officials that it was cosmetically added later seems to ring true.

Then comes the gunshot, which was caudocranial, that is she was shot laterally and the bullet propelled from behind towards the face. It clearly contradicts the theory that she was shot when she was attacking the team. The hunting is in complete violation of the Indian Forest Laws, Wildlife Protection Act, National Tiger Conservation Authority Rules, Rules of the Veterinarian Council of India, and the Drugs and Cosmetic Act.

Inquiry Commission a Farce

The Inquiry Committee appointed by the Ministry of Environment and Forest is unacceptable as it strangely included a member of an NGO – the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). WTI was completely complicit in the killing of Avni and it is ludicrous that they will investigate their own operation. There are no subject matter experts or judicial members in this farcical committee.

Even worse is the Inquiry Committee appointed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis – firstly it has very junior members from PCCF’s office who are in no position to conduct an inquiry on the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) A K Misra and on Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. Moreover, all the members are administrative staff and have no veterinary, ballistic, and other relevant expertise. The most unacceptable is the inclusion of Anish Andheria President of the NGO Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT). WCT’s role is dubious in this whole episode. They set up camera traps in 2015, even before Avni had allegedly killed – did they have a premonition that there was going to be a man-eater on the prowl or were they set the stage to kill Avni? Anish Andheria is also a part of State Wildlife Board, the same Board which decides to change the land use of forests, the same board that would have given away the land to Reliance Cement. There is photographic proof the WCT vehicles were used by the hunter Shafath Ali and his gang of killers when they went on their late night illegal hunts – illegal because our laws only allow for a man-eater to be tranquilized, captured or killed between sunrise to sunset.

All activists who have fought for Avni and the Aam Aadmi party jointly demand that there should be one Inquiry Committee and it should be led by a Judge which should not from Maharashtra state. It should include veterinary and other subject matter experts of a stature that can opine on Ministerial oversight.