Durgapur, July 24 :     The crocodile ?rescued? from an abandoned mine-pit under Eastern Coalfields Limited near Mongalpur on July 13 died a pathetic death at a wildlife park near Burdwan University last night. While wildlife lovers believe the reptile died of maltreatment, divisional forest officer, Burdwan, V.K. Sood is awaiting a post mortem report from the Alipore Zoo authority. The crocodile was apparently one of a pair on display at an Asansol hotel run by the local mafia. But after one of the reptiles escaped, the owner panicked and hid this one in a pool at the mine- pit. It was rescued after residents spotted the reptile. The ranger of Asansol, P.R. Ghosh, said the reptile was brought from Mongalpur and kept in a pond inside a cage in his office compound. The reptile refused the catfish and beef it was offered. It was then shifted to the Burdwan divisional forest officer?s office on July 21 and kept inside a cage. Ghosh believes the crocodile?s condition deteriorated while being taken to Burdwan. It was put in a gunny bag and had sustained injuries while being shoved into the bag. Ghosh believes the reptile could not endure the four-hour journey either. Congress legislator Tapas Banerjee, in a message to forest minister Jogesh Chandra Burman, has demanded a probe. He alleged that no inquiry had yet been made because of the involvement of a minister from Ranigunj. An animal lovers? group has urged Maneka Gandhi to initiate a probe.