Tigress Avni was shot dead in a forest in Yavatmal district earlier this month. (File)
The issue of tigress Avni's killing was raised in the Maharashtra cabinet meeting today with Shiv Sena seeking a judicial inquiry into the case.
Talking to reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting, senior Shiv Sena leader and Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam said he raised the issue of the tigress' killing and demanded a judicial probe.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, however, said he is not aware of the issue being discussed during the meeting.
Mr 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 earlier this month.
Shiv Sena chief president Uddhav Thackeray had described as "farce" the committee constituted by the state government to probe the killing of Avni. He had demanded that a panel be formed under a retired judge to probe the tigress' killing.
The Maharashtra government has, however, defended itself calling the incident "sad but necessary" after the tigress attacked forest staff trying to tranquilise it.