Odisha man hacks dog to death; arrested after gruesome video goes viral
The Odisha man who is seen killing a dog in a disturbing video was been arrested and remanded in judicial custody by a magistrate
A man from Kendrapara district seen killing a street dog in a widely-circulated video has been arrested, the Odisha police said on Saturday. The man was identified as Babula Singh, a resident of Praharajpur locality in Pattamundai town, just about 50 km from Odisha capital Bhubaneswar.
In the 15-second grisly video, Babula Singh, 50, is seen approaching the dog, one arm raised to hide the sharp-edged weapon from the animal lying on the ground. The dog looks up. And then, comes the deadly blow.
The weapon, presumably a large knife, slashed the dog’s abdomen. It was an agonizing death that outraged many. Some reached out to the district’s police chief.
Police said a case of cruelty was registered under various provisions including section 429 of the Indian Penal Code and section 11 (1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.
The 1960-vintage special law to deter cruelty to animals prescribes a fine of ₹10-50 for the first offence of cruelty to animals, and for a repeat offence within three years of the first, a fine of ₹25-100 and up to 3 months jail.
Section 429 of the penal code, which prescribes the punishment for mischief by killing or maiming any animal, provides for a jail sentence of up to a maximum of five years.
It was on account of this section in the FIR that Babula Singh was remanded in judicial custody by a judge.
Inspector Rakesh Tripathy at the Pattamundai police station said Babula Singh told the police that he was angry that the dog had killed two of his roosters.
Earlier this month, a retired bank official in Bhubaneswar was arrested by police on charges of animal cruelty after a video clip emerged in which he was seen throwing three kittens, which had entered his house, in front of street dogs. The dogs killed the kittens.
The accused, identified by the police as a retired bank official Prahallad Behera, was arrested on charges of animal cruelty
In May 2020, a pregnant dog was mercilessly beaten to death by a woman in Bhubaneswar. Despite all attempts, she could not be saved and her two premature puppies who were delivered after surgery also succumbed later.
ABOUT THE AUTHORDebabrata MohantyDebabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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