Gadkari and Mungantiwar should not mislead people for benefits of Reliance cement claims AAP

NP NEWS 24 ONLINE – That means her cubs have not eaten since 14 days. We have come together to demand the immediate rescue of the cubs. We 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.

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 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 cardocranial, 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.

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 the premonition that there was going to be a man-eater on the prowl or were they setting the stage to kill Avni? Anish Andheria is also a part of State Wildlife Board, *the same Board which decides to change land use of forests, the same board that would have given away the 465 hectares reserved forest 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.

 Aam Aadmi party demand that there should be one Inquiry Committee and it should be led by a Judge, (not from Maharashtra) it should include veterinary and other subject matter experts of a stature that can opine on Ministerial oversight.

*Aap is of the opinion that in man-animal conflict, man should be priority and animals should be relocated . But encounter for sake of Reliance cement’s benefits is not acceptable and Gadkari, Mungantiwar should not mislead people by their statements.

Aap puneMukund Kirdat, Spokesperson said,” leaders and Activists to meet CM Devendra Fadnavis at  6 pm,11th November, 2018 Sunday, to discuss rescue of Avni’s cubs, demand a fair judicial inquiry and demand the resignation of Minister Mungantiwar.”