Sudhanshu Pandey: I'm scarred after seeing Jai's lifeless body in a pool of blood
Sudhanshu Pandey on losing his society dog Jai and the culprit getting out on ₹50 bail. The actor urges government for stricter laws against animal cruelty
The last four years, actor Sudhanshu Pandey had been caring for the dog named Jai, whose death became a topic of discussion recently. The culprit behind Jai’s death was let out on a bail of ₹50, leading to many actors speaking against the injustice. Pandey was the one who had urged the dog’s caretaker to file an FIR against the culprit. His wife and son had even accompanied the caretaker to the police station.
Talking about the whole ordeal, Pandey recalls getting a call from his wife early morning about Jai’s death. He shares, “She was just saying, ‘somebody killed him’ repeatedly. I rushed to the scene, and I saw him lying in a pool of blood. My soul is scarred forever from seeing that visual of seeing the lifeless body of Jai. It’s funny to say for a man of my age, but I have really cried my heart out in the last three days. I just really can’t come to term with what has happened.”
Right after the incident, the 49-year-old went to shoot for his show Anupamaa. Yet, his mind was still stuck with what happened to Jai. “I was extremely disturbed and terrified. The whole day I was on the phone, furious when they told me who it could have been. I lost my temper and was saying all sort of things.”
The actor even took to social media to appeal to the government to have a stringent process in place for such culprits after Jai’s killer was let out at ₹50 bail. He says, “I appealed to the government including our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and even the Mumbai police. I hate doing such stuff, but this was personal. Whether or not he killed the dog or because of him the dog died, the man is still a culprit. As per rules, if he can just pay ₹50 for bail and walk out, it sends a wrong message.”
Pandey acknowledges and appreciates the efforts the government has taken to improve the country, but also mentions that the area of animal safety needs more work. “Some sort of a movement is greatly required now. In the last few years, I have been hearing so many horrifying stories of atrocities including dogs getting raped and it’s devastating. In a country like ours where we have always kept animals next to God and worshipped them, if our law equates their lives to ₹50, then what’s the use of putting them on such a pedestal?” he questions.
Pandey is overwhelmed with the support he has received from his fellow actors from the industry too. He shares, “They kept calling and messaging me to extend their support. It has been very reassuring and heartwarming.” But his biggest support has been his kids. “My kids have been stronger than me during this time. They have been coming and hugging me, giving me support as they have never seen their father cry like this. But this whole incident broke me down too much,” he ends.