Former minister of state for transport and tribal development Dharmarao Atram, an accused in the Chinkara poaching case, was grilled by the Bhor office of forest department in Pune district on Monday. The Sessions Court in Pune will hear the anticipatory bail application filed by him on Tuesday.
Forest department sources said Atram reached Bhor office around 1pm and was grilled by the forest department officers for over five hours.
When summoned on August 11 by the forest department for inquiry into the case, he had failed to turn up at the department’s Saswad office. He had sent a fax claiming that he could not come to Saswad as rail and road traffic was badly hit because of heavy rains. In the meantime, he had moved the Pune court and applied for anticipatory bail, which was rejected on August 13 and was scheduled for hearing on August 19.
The forest department officials have arrested six persons from Atram’s convoy, including Mahesh Birmane, his close aide. Statements of the accused have been recorded and the chargesheet will be filed after Atram’s statement is recorded.
Forest department sources said forensic reports on the weapons and other material that was confiscated were sufficient to pin Atram. “The reports have confirmed that the partially burnt hair and bones were the remains of the Chinkara,” said assistant conservator of forest HG Dhumal. However, he refused to divulge the details of the inquiry on Monday. Atram, however, has expressed willingness to co-operate in investigations in future.
Atram and his associates allegedly killed a Chinkara near Chaudharwadi in Pune district on June 14. The crime was allegedly committed while the convoy was on its way to Khingar village near Panchgani, where Atram owns a farm house.
The convoy left Morgaon Ganpati temple for Mahabaleshwar on the June 14 evening. It reached the spot around 9 pm. During search for the antelope, the convoy went 30 km away from the main road and reached Chaudharwadi. They allegedly even asked one Bhopkar, a Chaudharwadi resident, about the animal.
Bhopkar, suspecting their intention, did not tell them about the animal and noted the registration numbers of the vehicles. He passed on the information to the police.
a_ashwin@dnaindia.net
