Pune:A sessions court here today reserved its order for Monday on a fresh plea for bail moved by former Maharashtra minister Dharmarao Baba Atram, charged with killing Chinkara, named in the Wildlife Protection Act.

After hearing respective arguments in the matter, the Additional Sessions Judge, Sanjay Patil, said he would pronounce his order on September 8.

Earlier, defence counsel Dhairyasheel Patil told the court that forest officials had filed a chargesheet against Atram, which ran into 900 pages, and hence there was no need for any custodial investigation in the matter.

Another ground for grant of bail was the health condition of the accused who was suffering from various ailments, it was submitted before the court.

Public Prosecutor Ramesh Ghorpade, who opposed the bail plea, said the accused was a habitual offender and the possibility of his indulging in a similar crime again could not be ruled out if he were set free.

Atram, who resigned as NCP minister after being charged as the main accused in the June 14 poaching episode, is currently lodged at Yerawada jail in the city after he was arrested by forest officials and remanded in 14 days judicial custody by a Magistrate at Saswad near here on August 30.

He spent three days in Government Sassoons Hospital after his arrest, undergoing various medical tests before being discharged and sent to gaol.
Source : PTI