BELAGAVI : Who killed the maneater tiger? The Forest Department on Tuesday maintained that it was the field staff that killed the tiger and rubbished the claim of Khanapur MLA Aravind Patil's close associate Tajani Patil that he had killed it.
Belagavi Region Chief Conservator of Forests Vijay Mohanraj said after obtaining information about the location of the animal, a 10-member squad of sharp-shooters and tribals had rushed to the spot.
The squad fired three bullets in the tiger's face killing it on the spot.
He said according to the postmortem report, there were no bullets inside the body of the tiger as all the three bullets were pressed to the face. One bullet hit the nose and two below the left eye.
After being shot, the wild tiger died of breathing problems, Mohanraj said, quoting the report.
Dismissing Patil's claim, he said shoot-at-sight orders were issued to the Operation Tiger squad and no one else had the right to kill it under the National Tiger Preservation Authority Act.
What Patil Says
Patil from Karambal village in Khanapur taluk had claimed that after getting confirmation about the location of the tiger, he, along with five others, had rushed to the spot and fired three bullets at the tiger, which was drinking water from Mahadayi river. "Soon after killing it, I informed MLA Aravid Patil who was there at the spot," Tanaji Patil had said. MLA Patil also supported his claim.
Mohanraj said the radio collar around the tiger's neck and a micro chip fixed inside its body were recovered. The micro chip contained a number by which the tiger could be identified even after its death at any place. The chip will be sent to the Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru.
The big cat which killed a woman at Pandarahalli had also killed a pregnant woman in Khanapur taluk.