Nearly 100 dogs were allegedly “poisoned to death” in Telangana’s Mancherial district in yet another incident of stray dog killing, police said.
According to news agency PTI, animal welfare activist A Goutham lodged a complaint with the police and said around 100 stray dogs were killed in Kishtapur village on the night of March 7-8.
The complainant, who works as a Cruelty Prevention Manager at the Stray Animal Foundation of India (NGO), alleged that the Sarpanch and Gram Panchayath Secretary of Kishtapur village hired two people to kill stray dogs by giving them poisonous injections and buried them near a river.
Based on the complaint, a case was reportedly registered against the Sarpanch and the Gram Panchayath at the Jannaram police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, police said, as quoted by PTI.
Police said further investigations are underway.
“Mass Killing of Stray Dogs”
Several incidents of mass killing of stray dogs were reported from different districts in Telangana in January this year and December last year. Around 500 canines were killed in a week in early January, prompting a police investigation into the matter.
According to officials, 200 dogs were reportedly euthanized in Telangana’s Kamareddy district earlier this year.
Activist Goutham then said that he found dead bodies of dogs dumped in Bhavanipet village and later learned that similar incidents had taken place in Palwancha, Faridpet, Wadi and Bandarameshwarapally.
According to PTI, the toll was increased to 1,300 after which cases were registered against Sarpanches, their spouses, Gram Panchayat secretaries and others based on complaints filed by animal welfare activists.
Killing dogs linked to poll promises?
News agency PTI said the killings were suspected to have been carried out by some elected representatives, including Sarpanches, to fulfill promises made to villagers to tackle the menace of stray dogs ahead of the gram panchayat elections held in December last year.
“Ahead of the gram panchayat elections held in December last year, some candidates had promised villagers to deal with the menace of stray dogs and monkeys. Now they are allegedly ‘fulfilling’ these promises by killing stray dogs,” sources told PTI.
(With input from agencies)
