Nagpur: The three-member National Tiger Conservation Committee ( NTCA ) grilled sharp shooter Asgar Ali Khan and other team members for nearly four hours and recorded statements for the second consecutive day. The committee winds up the inquiry on Thursday.All the members were quizzed individually and the entire probe was video-recorded by the committee consisting of OP Kaler, retired APCCF of Kerala, Jose Louies, deputy director of wildlife crime control division in Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and convener Hemant Kamdi of NTCA’s Nagpur office.On Tuesday, the members went to Borai nullah, the spot where T1 was shot on November 2, and recreated the scene while questioning every single person present at that time.Sources said that the committee is not convinced with the self-defence theory put forward by the forest officials and Asghar.Top sources said the statements appear as if they staff has been tutored. On the night when T1 was shot, a forest department backup vehicle (Tata Sumo) was following the sharp shooter’s Gypsy as per information available with TOI. The passengers saw the incident but the committee has been told that the vehicle arrived late and stopped far behind.Sources also said that staff has been warned of action if they revealed the truth. Even as the committee posed tough questions to Khan and the staff, efforts are being made to ‘protect’ the forest department and the shooter.On Wednesday, the special tiger protection force (STPF) staff who was called at the spot to take security measures and lift the carcass was asked to submit their statements about their role. The NTCA committee is also said to have talked to veterinarians.Sources said the dart which was used by Asghar was picked up from the base camp at Sarati a day before. It is also to be investigated whether the medicine in the dart, which was 30-hours old, could be used for tranquillizing an animal.Wildlife conservationists have demanded a lie detector rest of the people involved in the T1 shooting. A source also said that all the statements and documents are being verified and cross-checked by the forest department’s counsel for evidence in case of a possible legal battle.

Stay updated with all the Latest Nagpur headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.