After requesting Union home minister Rajnath Singh to institute a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the disappearance of Maharashtra's iconic tiger Jai, forest minister SudhirMungantiwar is pressing for a similar investigation by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The move is expected to prevent any evidence from being destroyed by the time the CBI begins their investigation.
Earlier, BJP MP Nana Patole had written to prime minister Narendra Modi, claiming Jai had been poached. Now pointing to the divergent views of experts and people from Patole'sBhandara constituency, Mungantiwar has sought to put the onus of providing evidence of Jai's "death" on Patole.
Mungantiwar, who is also Maharashtra's finance minister and Patole's colleague in BJP, said he would write to chief minister DevendraFadnavis, seeking a CID probe in to the issue. "The CBI investigation may take time. So this (CID probe) will prevent important evidence from being destroyed," he said, adding that Fadnavis would be requested to ensure that the investigation is launched immediately.
The seven-foot, 250kg Jai was last located at Paoni range close to his habitat of UmredKarhandla wildlife sanctuary on April 18. This led to a massive search operation by the forest department, wildlife enthusiasts and NGOs, some of whom even offered cash prizes for his whereabouts.
Mungantiwar mentioned that researcher Bilal Habib from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had pointed to how Jai's cubs in UmredKarhandla were young adults, who may have driven him away.
"There is a divergence of opinion between the MP and tiger researchers," said Mungantiwar. Three tigresses from UmredKarhandla had given birth to nine cubs with Jai. This may have led to Jai, the dominant territorial male, to head for other areas to avoid competition from younger males. UmredKarhandla has an area of just 187 sqkm.
The forest minister said it was difficult to search for the tiger in the dense jungles during monsoons, when the roads were closed, and that no tiger poaching had been reported in Maharashtra in the last two years. Moreover, the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) had also been deployed.
Mungantiwar said Patole must be called upon during the probe to submit photographic or videographic evidence or call data records. He, however, denied a rift within the party.
Meanwhile, divisional forest officer (DFO) and spokesperson of the state forest department's wildlife wing, Girish Vashisht, said the CBI was investigating a 2013 case from Maharashtra, wherein two people were caught with tiger body parts. "The department first conducted a probe and then caught (people from) Katni and Delhi. Later, the state government decided that the gang was an inter-state one and handed the case over to the CBI," he said.
