Nearly 100 dogs were allegedly “poisoned to death” in the Mancherial district of Telangana in yet another incident of stray dog killings, police said.
According to news agency PTI, an animal welfare activist, A Goutham, filed a complaint with police, stating that on the intervening night of March 7 and 8, around 100 stray dogs were killed in Kishtapur village.
The complainant, working as Cruelty Prevention Manager with the Stray Animal Foundation of India (NGO), alleged that the Sarpanch and Gram Panchayath Secretary of Kishtapur village hired two people to kill the stray dogs by giving them poisonous injections and buried them near a river.
Based on the complaint, a case was reportedly registered under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act at Jannaram police station against the Sarpanch and Gram Panchayath, police were quoted by PTI as saying.
Police said that further investigation is on.
‘Mass killings of stray dogs’
Several incidents of mass killings of stray dogs were reported from different districts in Telangana in January this year and December last year. Earlier in January, about 500 canines were killed within a week, triggering police investigation into the matter.
According to officials, 200 dogs were allegedly culled in Telangana’s Kamareddy district earlier this year.
Activist Goutham had then said that he had found dog carcasses dumped in Bhavanipet village and later learnt that similar incidents had occurred in Palwancha, Faridpet, Wadi and Bandarameshwarapally.
As per PTI, the toll rose to 1,300, following which cases were registered against Sarpanchs, their husbands, Gram Panchayat Secretaries and others based on complaints lodged by animal welfare activists.
Dog killings linked to poll promises?
News agency PTI reported that the killings were suspected to have been carried out by some elected representatives, including Sarpanchs, to fulfill promises made to villagers of addressing the stray dog menace ahead of the gram panchayat elections held in December last year.
“Ahead of the gram panchayat elections held in December last year, some candidates promised villagers they would tackle the stray dog and monkey menace. They are now allegedly ‘fulfilling’ those promises by killing stray dogs,” sources told PTI.
(With inputs from agencies)