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Case against gram panchayat after over 100 dogs killed in Shivamogga
Officials of Bhadravati Rural police station, where the complaint has been registered, said that local residents who observed some suspicious activity in the area informed a group involved in animal rescue who found the carcasses of dogs
Shivamogga district police have filed a case against officials of a gram panchayat in the district after several street dogs were allegedly poisoned and buried in a village. The carcasses were found on Tuesday by people involved in animal rescue in Hunasekatte village in Bhadravati taluk in Shivamogga located around 300km from Bengaluru. The police didn’t provide an exact number, but said a preliminary inspection suggested there could be over 100 carcasses.
Superintendent of police Shivamogga Laxmi Prasad said that a case has been registered against Kambadal Hosur gram panchayat officials based on a complaint by local animal rights activists. “The complaint says that the killing of the dogs was orderedby the gram panchayat. We have sought a report on the matter from a team of veterinarians on the cause of the deaths and other details. Further action will be taken based on the report,” said Prasad.
Officials of Bhadravati Rural police station, where the complaint has been registered, said that local residents who observed some suspicious activity in the area informed a group involved in animal rescue who found the carcasses of dogs. The activists alleged that the gram panchayat officials contracted a private firm to kill dogs and that some dogs were buried alive as well. Police said the allegations are being investigated.
The case has been registered under Section 428 of the Indian Penal Code (killing, poisoning, maiming or rendering useless any animal). Police said that the cause of the death could be identified only after the experts’ report, however, preliminary police investigation suggests that the dogs were poisoned.
The gram panchayat officials have maintained that they had not ordered the killing of dogs. Talking to local media, the secretary of Kambadal Hosur gram panchayat B Manjunath said that panchayat had not ordered the capture or culling of dogs. He claimed the panchayat would support the police in its investigation.
