High-rise society’s RWA, security guards booked for beating stray dog to death in Greater Noida

According to the complainant, who did not wish to be identified, the incident was recorded by CCTV cameras in the residential society. Members of the RWA have denied the allegations

The Gautam Budh Nagar police have booked unidentified security guards and members of the RWA (residents’ welfare association) of a high-rise society in Greater Noida for allegedly beating a stray dog to death. According to a tenant of the society who is the complainant in this case, the dog was sterilised and vaccinated by the Greater Noida authority last year and posed no threat.

A stray dog in Greater Noida. (Representational Image/Reuters)

Vinod Kumar Mishra, station house officer of Beta-2 police station, said the incident occurred on March 4 at AWHO (Army Welfare Housing Organisation) Gurjinder Vihar, Greater Noida, after which a first information report (FIR) was registered on Monday.

“The complainant in the case is a tenant of the society who feeds dogs. On the basis of a complaint, an FIR was registered under sections 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle, dog), 120b (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 11 (animal cruelty) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,” said Mishra.

According to the complainant, who did not wish to be identified, the incident was recorded by CCTV cameras in the residential society.

“I received a phone call from an acquaintance, who witnessed the security guards beating a black dog. When he asked the guards why they were beating the dog, they replied that it has turned aggressive,” she said.

“When I heard this, I went looking for the black dog and couldn’t find it anywhere. So, I decided to check CCTV footage. The police helped us get 45 minutes of footage based on the time provided by the acquaintance. The footage shows the guards beating a black dog with sticks. We are still looking for the carcass,” said the complainant, adding that the guards killed the dog on the instructions of the RWA.

“I have been feeding stray dogs for the last seven years in this locality. The dog that was killed was sterilised and vaccinated by the Greater Noida authority and did not pose any threat. It was a docile and well-behaved stray dog,” added the complainant.

After being sterilisied and vaccinated, the dog was tagged by Smart Sanctuary, an NGO that carried out an animal birth control programme for the Greater Noida authority.

Kaveri Rana Bhardwaj, founder of Smart Sanctuary, said, “The dog also underwent two months of behavioural training at the Greater Noida authority’s facility under the supervision of vets. After that it was released into its area near the AWHO society. We had told the RWA that if the dog creates any issues, they should inform us. Instead, the RWA has killed the dog.”

Members of the RWA denied the allegations.

“The complainant has made false accusations against RWA members. We never gave any orders to the security guards to kill a dog. There are 45 stray dogs inside our society and three of them have also bitten residents of the society. We are peaceful people and there have been false allegations made in the complaint. We will fight against this legally,” said Pushpendra Kumar, RWA president of AWHO Gurjinder Vihar, Greater Noida.