A 60-year-old man died after shotgun pellets allegedly fired during an illegal wildlife-hunting expedition struck his chest in the Chenagaon forest near Mira Road, police said. Two people have been arrested in the case, while investigators are examining the shooting, the death and the alleged cremation of the body.
According to a press release issued by the Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar police on Wednesday, Assistant Police Inspector Suhas Kamble received confidential information at around 10 am on October 20 that Vijay Sapte, a resident of Velkari Pada in Chenagaon, had been shot during hunting in the forest. The police said Sapte’s body had subsequently been cremated at a local cremation ground.
Kashigaon police began investigating the information using technical analysis, confidential inputs and questioning of people known to the victim. The investigation indicated that seven people had entered the Chenagaon forest near Debucha Ghat in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park area to hunt wild animals, according to the police account.
Police alleged that Mahesh Anant Gaikar, 52, was carrying a double-barrel shotgun loaded with pellets. Two other members of the group allegedly had locally made muzzle-loading firearms. At around 9 pm, the group reportedly saw the light from a mobile phone held by a person standing ahead. Investigators allege that Gaikar mistook the light for the eyes of a wild animal and fired in that direction.
The pellets struck Sapte in the chest. Two other people also suffered serious injuries, police said. The injured were brought down from the forest to Belkadi Pada in Chenagaon. Sapte died while he was being taken for hospital treatment.
The police also alleged that Sapte’s body was cremated after Dr Rajesh Pandurang Palande, 56, of Aashish Hospital, examined it through a WhatsApp video call and issued documents recording the death. The circumstances surrounding the medical assessment and the alleged cremation are part of the ongoing investigation.
Seven people have been named in the case: Gaikar; Sapte’s son Rohit Vijay Sapte, 21; Kalpesh Bandu Dagla, 25; Kunal Prabhakar Shelar, 31; Kathod Bistur Labad, 55; Pravin Balu Jadhav, 55; and Dr Palande. The police have arrested Gaikar and Labad. Legal proceedings and investigation concerning the other named individuals are continuing.
The case has been registered at Kashigaon police station under multiple sections, according to the police. The investigation is being conducted under the supervision of Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik, Additional Commissioner Sanjay Shintre, Deputy Commissioner Rahul Chavan and the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mira Road. Police have not yet disclosed further details of the alleged hunting operation or the specific firearms involved beyond those described in the press release.
