Thane, Oct 21 Police on Wednesday arrested two persons after a 60-year-old man, suspected to be a member of an illegal hunting expedition, died of a gunshot injury within the limits of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Maharashtra’s Thane district.
Prima facie, the deceased, identified as Vijay Sapte, was struck by a gunshot fired by an accomplice who mistook his mobile flashlight for an animal’s eyes, according to a release issued by the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police.
Sapte was hastily cremated in Chenagaon to conceal the crime, police said.
Police said a group of seven individuals had ventured into the Debucha Ghat forest area inside the SGNP, which covers parts of Mumbai and Thane districts, near Chenagaon for wild animal poaching on Tuesday.
Armed with a double-barrel shotgun loaded with buckshot cartridges and country-made muzzle-loading guns, the group split up in the dark, according to police.
Around 9 pm on Tuesday, accused Mahesh Gaikwad spotted a mobile phone light shining from across the terrain. Mistaking the illumination for the glowing eyes of an animal, Gaikwad fired his gun in that direction.
The stray pellets struck Sapte in the chest, while two other individuals in the group also sustained serious injuries. As the injured victims were being rushed out of the forest toward Belkadi Pada for medical assistance, Sapte succumbed to his injuries, according to the release.
“In an attempt to cover up the fatal shooting, the group approached a private practitioner, who allegedly examined the body via a WhatsApp video call and issued a death certificate without proper legal protocols or informing law enforcement. Subsequently, the victim’s son and others disposed of the body by hastily cremating it at the Chenagaon cremation ground,” police said.
A case was registered at Kashigaon police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with the Arms Act.
The accused duo is identified as Mahesh Gaikwad (52) and Kathod Bistur Labad (55), out of the seven persons named in the FIR.
The other accused include the victim’s son Rohit Sapte (21), Kalesh Bandu Dagl (25), Kunal Prabhakar Shelar (31), Pravin Balu Jadhav (55), and Dr Rajesh Pandurang Palande (56).
Further investigation is underway.
(PTI News)
