(IN): Ex-minister held for killing chinkaras

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Link: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1186838

 

*Ex-minister held for killing chinkaras*

 

Ashwin Aghor

Saturday, August 30, 2008 19:22 IST

 

MUMBAI: Forest department officials arrested former minister of state for

transport and tribal welfare Dharmarao Atram on Saturday in connection with

the chinkara poaching case. He was sent to judicial custody for 14 days

after being produced in the sessions and criminal court at Saswad in Pune

district. The court also rejected his bail application. He is likely to be

lodged at Yeravada jail in Pune.

 

Following orders by the Bombay High Court, he surrendered at the Bhor office

of the forest department on August 28. The investigators interrogated him

for three days before making the arrest at 11am on Saturday. They had filed

a charge-sheet against him and seven others in connection with the poaching

case.

 

When his bail application was rejected, Atram complained of chest pain and

high blood pressure and was rushed to Sassoon Hospital in Pune. During the

interrogation, Atram complained of ill health, but sources said this was to

evade arrest. A subsequent medical check-up revealed that his blood pressure

was high.

 

Atram allegedly killed two chinkaras, two hares and a 'barking' deer on June

14 and 16 in Purandar taluka near Pune while hunting with his associates.

According to his associates, when they got to know of newspaper reports

about the killings, they cleaned out their vehicles, threw the animal bodies

in Panchgani and headed back to Mumbai.

Anticipating huge gathering of the former NCP leader's supporters, heavy

police bandobast was deployed at the Bhor office of the forest department

and also at Saswad court.

a_ashwin

 

 

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