Nagpur: The Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) appears to have manipulated the offence registered against Hyderabad-based sharp shooter Asghar Ali Khan for shooting T1 alias Avni at Pandharkawda. TOI is in possession of copies of two preliminary offence reports (PORs) registered on November 3, 2018, the first naming the shooter as an accused, and the second doing away with the name.Questions have been raised why two PORs, with numbers 1182 and 1183, were registered for the same case. In first POR, bearing number 1182, Asghar Ali Khan has been mentioned as accused, and it cites violation of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) SOP and guidelines as the crime. The POR was registered by forester and the then acting range forest officer (RFO) SB Kondamangle.Shockingly, without cancelling the first POR, FDCM officials and Kondamangle clandestinely buried it and registered another POR with number 1183 on the same day (November 3, 2018) in which shooter Khan’s name and crime were changed to “death of T1 by bullets fired from gun”.It is obvious that the POR was changed to save shooter Khan. FDCM officials could only come up evasive replies. Kondamangle said on Sunday, “I don’t remember exactly as I was holding additional charge. It is possible the POR may have been cancelled. I will let you know tomorrow.”FDCM managing director N Rambabu, to whom TOI sent copies of both PORs, said, “This is news to me. I will comment once I receive a report from the Yavatmal divisional manager.”FDCM regional manager JP Tripathi was diplomatic, saying, “The POR has not been changed.”T1 case investigating officer and assistant manager Vasant Sarpe, who on January 30 has already give a clean chit to Khan and closed the case, did not respond to TOI’s calls.However, legal experts in the forest department said a POR cannot be cancelled by officer who registered it. Only the court has power to quash PORs. The FDCM officials should have seized the weapons used in shooting T1, but instead of quizzing Khan they allowed him to leave for Hyderabad easily with the weapons.“After registering POR, it seems local FDCM officials were ready to investigate the case but pressure from senior officials led to change in POR and dropping of Asghar’s name,” sources said.As reported by TOI, initially FDCM officials did not want to register a POR in the case but after Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSC), Nagpur, refused to perform analysis of forensic tests and samples, POR number 1183 was registered as a formality.Under the garb of assembly and panchayat elections in Telangana, FDCM officials deliberately delayed ballistic analysis for two months by not seizing the weapon used to shoot T1 and empty cartridge from Khan.A letter to Telangana police from FDCM MD mentioning requirement of weapon for probe purpose could have solved the matter. FDCM acted fast on ballistic tests and completed all the formalities, and even gave clean chit to Asghar a day before then PCCF (wildlife) AK Misra was to retire on January 31.Interestingly, ballistic report states that .315 rifle was used by Asghar to shoot T1. However, in an interview to ‘The Telegraph’ on November 3, 2018, Khan had admitted that he fired the shot on T1 from his .458 Winchester Magnum rifle.However, NTCA and state committee reports state that Asghar did not remember which gun he used to shoot the tigress. Both the committees have scrapped Asghar’s self-defence theory. The state report has even said the T1 killing by Asghar was unauthorized and he violated Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, but state government is reluctant to take any action.GOVT SHIELDING SHOOTER ASGHAR?* FDCM registered POR (1182) against Asghar in T1 shooting on Nov 3, 2018* Another POR filed the same day without his name* Once POR is registered it can be quashed only by court* FDCM delayed probe and ballistic analysis by not seizing Asghar’s weapon* POR can be reopened and a complaint can be filed

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