Mumbai: The issue of tigress Avni’s killing figured in the Maharashtra cabinet meeting on Tuesday with senior Shiv Sena leader and Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam seeking a judicial inquiry into the case. Senior BJP leader and Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, however, said he was not aware of the issue being discussed during the meeting. Talking to reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting, Kadam said he raised the issue of the tigress’ killing and demanded a judicial probe.
When contacted, Mungantiwar said, “When I came for the meeting, nobody spoke about it. I am not aware if the issue was raised in my absence.” The BJP-led state government has come under fire over the death of the tigress, who was believed to have turned a man-eater and killed 13 people in the last two years in Yavatmal district. The big cat was shot dead in an operation in a forest in Yavatmal district last Friday. The killing of T1, as the tigress was officially known, led to an outrage among animallovers and wildlife organisations.