In his letter, Patole, an MP from Bhandara-Gondia in Vidarbha, has also referred to the disappearance of two more male tigers from the region, which he alleged has happened in connivance with the state forest department officials.

Speaking to dna, Patole alleged that Jai has been poached. "They have killed him," he said, adding that there were no signs that the tiger was still alive. He said two other males – Rashtrapati and Dendu – were also untraceable, but the forest department was sitting on the inquiry report.

Incidentally, finance minister SudhirMungantiwar holds the forest portfolio as well and also belongs to the BJP. The last location of the seven-footer and 250kg Jai was at Paoni range close to his habitat of UmredKarhandla on April 18. A massive search operation was then launched by the forest department, wildlife enthusiasts and NGOs, some of them even offering cash prizes for the tiger's whereabouts.

"Poaching has taken place. Poaching means that even the bones will not be found," said Patole, while pointing to the forest department for being unable to trace Jai or any evidence of him, despite the massive operation. He further alleged that the forest department had launched a cover-up. He was, however, unable to provide any firm basis for the contention that Jai was poached.

"I have up-to-date (information). When when a high-level probe is instituted by the department, I will give that information," said Patole, claiming that another tigress, Alpha, has also gone missing.

In his letter to Modi, Patole alleged that the three tigers (Jai, Rashtrapati and Dendu) have either been killed or have gone missing with the connivance of the local employees. "When those tasked with protection indulge in such crimes, the worry becomes more serious," the letter stated, seeking an inquiry.

Commenting on the forest department's contention that Jai might have migrated to neighbouring states such as Madhya Pradesh, Patole said there were no tell-tale signs, such as the tiger hunting cattle or other large herbivores. "Is he fasting? Has he become a renunciate?" he questioned.

Patole said a high-level probe "would bring the sins (of the forest department) to the fore," and alleged that senior bureaucrats were trying to suppress the issue.

Meanwhile, CLAW founder SaroshLodhi said, "We have started a nationwide petition, under which we are asking five questions about Jai – where is Jai, is he dead or alive, how can a satellite and radio-collared tiger go missing, who is accountable for the untraceable Jai and why a missing report has not been registered for him? The petition seeks an investigation into the disappearance."

In 2012, Rashtrapati had gone missing from the Navegaon-Nagzira tiger reserve. Dendu and Alpha have been untraceable since 2015.

Talking about Patole's claims, GK Vashisht, divisional forest officer (DFO) and spokesperson of the state forest department's wildlife wing, said, "It may be his (Patole's) estimation. Officially, we have not located evidence of his poaching. We do not know on what basis he said that."

Born in the Navegaon-Nagzira tiger reserve in Bhandara-Gondia, Jai migrated to UmredKarhandla, around 150km away, in 2013.