16 booked over killings of 500 strays in T’gana

TElangana law registered ternion divide cases against 16 people crosswise ternary districts — Kamareddy, Warangal and Jagitial districts— for allegedly indulging in mass killing of more than 500 stray dogs by administering poisonous injections in the last 10 days, police officers familiar with the matter said.According to the first information report registered at the Machareddy police station in Kamareddy district on January 12, cases were registered against six people , including five sarpanches belonging to Bhavanipet, Palwancha, Faridpet, Wadi and Banda Rameshwarpally gram panchayats under Sections 325,r/w 3(5) (Killing or maiming any animal) of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita, besides Section 11(1)(a)(i) of Prevention of Cruelty towards Animals Act (PCAA).Quoting a complaint lodged by Adulapuram Goutham of Stray Animal Foundation of India, Machareddy assistant inspector of police Parige Narender Reddy said mass killing of around 200 stray dogs was done in Bhavanipet, Palwancha, Faridpet, Wadi, and Bandarameshwarapally villages at the instance of the respective village sarpanches between January 10 and 12.“The complainant stated that the accused allegedly administered poisonous injections to the stray dogs, resulting in their death. For this purpose, they engaged one Kishore Pandhey to execute the act,” the ASI said, adding that the bodies of the dogs were dumped in a tank.Goutham filed a similar complaint with the Shayampet police in Warangal district on January 9, stating that 300 stray dogs were killed by administering of poisonous injection between January 5 and 9 in Shayampet and Arepally village, at the behest of Shayampet sarpanch, Shayampet village secretary, Arepally sarpanch and Arepally village secretary.“Based on the complaint, cases were registered against nine persons, including sarpanches and other members of the panchayat, besides hired killers,” Shayampet inspector of police Jakkula Parameshwar said, adding that a case was registered under Section 325 of BNS and relevant sections of PCAA.Similar complaint was filed at Dharmapuri police station in Jagitial district on January 5, stating that 30 stray dogs were poisoned to death by Rajaiah, Sekhar and two other unknown persons between December 28 and 30 at Dharmapuri Kaman. “The entire act of killing the stray dogs was recorded on video and made viral in the media,” Dharmapuri sub-inspector of police Guruka Mahesh said, adding that a case was registered under Section 325 of BNS.Describing the killing of more than 500 stray dogs as “very distressing and inhuman,” Humane World for Animals, India, representative Sherya Paropakari said it was unfortunate that such atrocities were being carried out, despite the Supreme Court directions.“It is sad that despite the filing of the FIRs against the accused, they were not arrested as they are bailable offences,” she said.