The Maharashtra Forest Department last week told the Bombay High Court that investigations into the chinkara hunting case have revealed former minister Dharmaraobaba Atram’s involvement in the killing of many more animals.

The department submitted the investigation report on the case during the hearing of a bail petition filed by Atram. The report says Atram and his associates killed one more chinkara and two hares on the same night and killed a barking deer on June 16.

Half-burnt carcasses packed in a plastic bag were recovered by Forest Department sleuths headed by Sub-Divisional Forest Officer (Bhor) H G Dhumal. The remains were sent to Pune’s forensic lab and Hyderabad’s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology for verification, the record says.

The record, based on eye-witness accounts of Atram’s six accomplices, was placed before the High Court Bench of Justice V K Tahilramani by the prosecution. However, Atram’s lawyer Sachin Dhakephalkar refuted the charges saying, “The Forest Department had not mentioned anything about the killing of animals in the Pune court. They have come up with the allegations only now before the High Court. Anyone can say anything at this stage. But all that would have to be supported by evidence. Let them give it. We will have to verify that first.”

Three-day hunt

As recorded in the Forest Department probe

• On June 13, Atram told his friend Ravi Sorap to arrange a vehicle for an “official” tour to Mahabaleshwar along the Mumbai-Pune road and be “ready for the usual”. Atram, Sorap and Suresh Biramane of Pachgani left for Mahabaleshwar in a Qualis and the then minister’s official car. They were accompanied by driver Prabhakar Wagh and Atram’s bodyguard Avinash Natekar.

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