This is the second incident of poaching in a month. Earlier in June, some people from Kolhapur had been arrested for poaching in the same area.

Shockingly, such incidents continue even as the case filed against former minister Dharmaraj Baba Atram for poaching is pending in the court.

The incident came to light on July 13 when the Baramati forest officers got a tip-off about two people killing a Chinkara and eating it at their residence in Gophane hamlet in Malegaon.

The arrested persons have been identified as Bhima Bapurao Jadhav (56) and Mahadev Chander Khomne (22). Led by range forest officer Jalinder Jadhav, a team from Baramati raided their houses and arrested them.

The forest officers have seized a chopper, torch, wooden stick, skin, some parts of the Chinkara and a motorcycle which was used in the hunt from the suspects.

Speaking to dna, Jadhav who cracked the case, said, “The duo used to huntships and goat. A few weeks ago, they spotted a Chinkara at Ghule’s parched hillock area and hatched a plan to kill it. Accordingly, on June 11 night, they went to the area on a motorcycle with a torch, stick, chopper and rope. They spotted the Chinkara and flashed torch on it. As a result, the Chinkara froze taking advantage of which they killed it.”

“The Chinkara was pregnant and the duo found a dead fawn in her stomach. In a bid to conceal evidence, the duo threw her skin, fawn and bones into Nira lake on July 12,” Jadhav added.

According to him, the duo showed them the place where the leftover of the Chinkara was dumped. “We have found the skin, fawn and parts of her legs in the water.”

According to the forest officers, the duo had killed the Chinkara only for eating purpose and not for the skin.

“As per our primary interrogations, the suspects did not have any purpose behind killing the Chinkara. After substantial interrogation, we will decide weather the duo’s family members can be made accused in the case. The duo has been arrested under relevant sections of Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 and has been remanded in custody till July 19,” said Jadhav.

Jadhav said that an area of around 15 kilometre near Malegaon is a habitat of 15 Chinkaras. These Chinkaras graze and live in the parched and hilly area. “Generally, Chinkaras like to stay in open spaces and thin forests. We have been keeping tab on their movement,” he said.

Atram case

Former minister Dharmaraj Baba Atram allegedly hunted two Chinkaras and some rabbits in 2008. Atram, along with seven other suspects Suresh Andarao Biramane, his brother Mahesh, Ravindra Tukaram Wadkar, Ravi Vasant Sorap, Ankush Tukaram Sanas, Prabhakar Shriram Wagh and Sayyad Ali Husen, has been slapped under relevant sections of The Forest Act, 1927 and The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act. As per the chargesheet, Atram planned the hunting along with another suspect Sorap on June 13, 2008. On June 14, Atram packed his bags along with a gun and put them in his car,