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Andhra sarpanch hired man to kill village’s community dogs. He kills 18: Police
The young Chebrole villager who allegedly killed the 18 dogs was promised ₹300 for each dog that he killed. He poisoned them
HYDERABAD: Three people including the village sarpanch and gram panchayat official were arrested in Andhra Pradesh’s Eluru district on Sunday on charges of killing 18 community dogs. Police said the three were released on bail soon after.
The arrests were made in the district’s Chebrole village after local animal rights activists filed a formal complaint alleging that the sarpanch and official gave an informal contract to kill the dogs. Veerababu was promised ₹300 for every dog that he killed. He is alleged to have poisoned 18.
Police registered a case under sections 428 and 429 (mischief by killing or maiming animal of the value of ₹10, and ₹50 or more) and Section 11 (L) (animal cruelty) of the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (PCA) Act 1960. Section 429 prescribes a maximum jail term of five years upon conviction; the maximum punishment under the other two provisions is two years.
“We have formally arrested village sarpanch S Raju and gram panchayat secretary Satish Babu, besides a local youth K Veerababu, who was engaged by the sarpanch to kill stray dogs,” Chebrole sub-inspector of police K Swamy told HT.
“Since the accused are liable for imprisonment for less than seven years, they were given bail immediately and let off, after being given the notices as per the law,” Swamy said, adding an autopsy has been conducted and the viscera sent for forensic examination to confirm the cause of death.
Animal rights activist from Eluru town Srilatha Challapalli told reporters that she received information about Veerababu killing street dogs by injecting them with poison at the behest of the village sarpanch and gram panchayat secretary, and sent two colleagues to verify the information.
“By the time they reached there, Veerababu had already poisoned 18 dogs. We immediately alerted the police, who rushed there and stopped the killings,” she said.
Srilatha said the sarpanch promised to pay Veerababu ₹300 for each dog.
“As per the norms, the local civic authorities have to conduct animal birth control operations to check the proliferation of stray dogs, but they cannot kill them,” she said, adding that they will lodge a complaint with the chairman of Society for Prevention of Cruelty of Animals to seek departmental action against the sarpanch and Chebrole gram panchayat secretary.
