Trial of former minister Atram, others to begin today

The trial against former minister Dharmarao Baba Atram in a poaching case, which was filed against him after he allegedly hunted two Chinkaras and two rabbits in 2008, will begin in the court of judicial magistrate (first class) A S Pandangale at Saswad on Tuesday.

The then sub-divisional forest officer Hanumant Dhumal had filed a 900-page chargesheet against Atram with a list of 95 prosecution witnesses. Dhumal, who is now a divisional forest officer posted in Thane, is scheduled to depose in the court tomorrow.

Atram has been named as an accused in the chargesheet along with Mahesh Biramane, Suresh Biramane, Sayyad Ali, Ravindra Wadkar and Ankush Sanas. They are facing charges of killing two Chinkaras and two rabbits in the forest on the border of Bhor and Baramati talukas on June 14, 2008.

According to prosecution case, “Atram and his associates allegedly killed a Chinkara near Chaudharwadi in Pune district on June 14, 2008 while he was on his way to Khingar village near Panchgani, where Atram owns a farm house. The convoy left Morgaon Ganpati temple for Mahabaleshwar on June 14 evening and reached the spot around 9 pm. They went in search of the antelope 30 km away from the main road and reached Chaudharwadi.”

Additional public prosecutor Ramesh Ghorpade said, “The charges were framed against Atram and others recently. Since the case is pending for the past five years, we sought to speed up the trial before charges are framed. I shall examine Dhumal in the court on Monday.”