Accused of shooting ‘chinkara’, NCP minister under fire

The State government is conducting an impartial inquiry into the incident & the Minister's car with red beacon had been searched already.

The Maharashtra NCP president Arun Gujarati said on Thursday that there was no cover-up operation to shield the party’s Minister of State Dharmarao Atram, accused in the hunting of a Chinkara deer, a protected species, in Baramati region.

The State government is conducting an impartial inquiry into the June 19 incident, Gujarati told reporters. Atram who holds portfolio of Adivasi Welfare and Transport in the Congress-NCP coalition government, was seen in his car along with two others in the protected forest area on the night of the killing, according to the information given by villagers to forest officials.

The Minister, while admitting that he had passed through the region, has denied any involvement in the crime. The forest officials conducting an inquiry into the incident have seized some firearms from the possession of a person at Panchgani, an acquaintance of Atram.

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According to sources in the Forest Department, the Minister’s car with red beacon too had been searched when he was away in Singapore last week.

Meanwhile, the State Forest Minister Babanrao Pachpute, also belonging to NCP, who earlier gave a clean chit to his cabinet colleague later announced that “law would take its own course” and Forest Department had been given instructions to conduct impartial inquiry into the Chinkara hunting without fear or favour.

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