Physiotherapist booked for killing dog

A physiotherapist was booked by the Expressway police for allegedly killing his neighbour’s pet dog in Sector 167 on Wednesday night. A probe in the matter is underway. The incident was reported from Dostpur Mangrauli village. According to the owner of the dog, the suspect, Chandra Pal Sharma, had tried to harm the animal on an earlier occasion as well.

A physiotherapist was booked by the Expressway police for allegedly killing his neighbour’s pet dog in Sector 167 on Wednesday night. A probe in the matter is underway.

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The incident was reported from Dostpur Mangrauli village. According to the owner of the dog, the suspect, Chandra Pal Sharma, had tried to harm the animal on an earlier occasion as well.

“The dog was friendly with children. But Sharma has young children and he was always scared of the dog. He has tried to hit him earlier as well. On Wednesday, around 8pm, Sharma dragged the dog away from our home. The dog’s neck got stuck in the gate after which he hit our dog with a rod repeatedly,” pet owner and complainant Raj Kumar said.

Kumar said later, Sharma dragged the dog for almost two kilometers after tying the animal to his motorcycle and refused to listen to anyone who tried to intervene. The family suspects that rumours of dogs spreading coronavirus may be why the paramedic killed the dog.

The family informed the Gautam Budh Nagar unit of People for Animals about the incident after which a case was filed at the Expressway police station against the suspect under sections 428 (mischief by killing or maiming animal) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

Sharma has denied the charges.

“The family has several dogs that are left in the open. On three occasions, my daughter was bit. The animals rummage through our garbage. On Wednesday night, I saw two dogs going through our dustbin and I tried to shoo them away. One of them ran away, however, I accidentally hit the other with a stick. I had no intention of harming it but the dog collapsed. After that, I asked a person I know to take the animal for treatment on my bike,” he said.

Police said a probe in the matter is underway. “No arrest has been made as yet. We will take necessary legal action after a thorough investigation,” Yogesh Malik, station house officer, Expressway police station, said.