Vets body slams Maharashtra govt over Avni killing

The apex body of veterinary doctors, Veterinary Services Association (VSA), has slammed the Maharashtra government's Forest department saying that the way tigress Avni was shot was completely unscientific and illegal.

In a letter to the Chief Wildlife Warden, VSA President Dr Chirantan Kadian said that there has been a serious breach of Indian Veterinary Council Act, 1984, Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1945 and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, by the Chief Conservator of Forest (Yavatmal).

In the letter, Dr Kadian pointed out that section 30 (b) of the Indian Veterinary Act was breached when the CCF-Yavatmal issued the orders of tranquillisation to private hunter Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, who is not a veterinarian.

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The law states that such a person needs to be registered with the Veterinary Council of India or the Maharashtra State Veterinary Council.

"Even though the order mentions that there were two veterinarians in his team, reports from the field indicate otherwise," he said.

The vet professional body chief also expressed concern as to how Asghar Ali was assigned the task to kill the tigress.

"The incident has been claimed to have been conducted from a distance of 8 to 10 metres away from the tigress. No veterinarian was present on the spot and it seems very unlikely that the shooter may have had the time to wait for the drug to work. The whole exercise seems to be extremely unscientific and illegally conducted," he said.

Drug calculation, drug administration is the purview of a veterinary doctor as the hunter is simply a quack.

"We are really disappointed that your office has issued orders which are in violation of existing laws," the letter states.