Mumbai Mirror | May 26, 2013, 02.17 AM IST
Footage shows three men stabbing and stoning the dog to death in Chembur; 2 nabbed.
A stray dog was killed in a savage attack by three men who allegedly attacked it with knife and stones at Chembur's Inlaks Hospital Road early on Saturday. A part of the attack has been recorded by a CCTV camera installed at a nearby residence outside which the incident occurred.
The CCTV footage showed that at 6 am, the three men appoached the harmless canine. They then tied the poor animal with a chain and started dragging it around, attacking it with knife and stones.
A mutilated body of the dog was found at a nearby dumpster, with a bloodied slab of stone next to it.
"After stabbing the dog to near death, they smashed its face with a slab of stone," said activist Vimlesh Narani.
Locals said that this was the eleventh incident of animal cruelty in Chembur in the month. Speaking on the recent spate of attacks, a resident Dayashankar Shetty told Mumbai Mirror, "A few days ago, someone threw acid at our dog." Shetty added that his dog escaped with minor injuries.
After seeing the CCTV footage, Narani went to the Basant Park police station to register an FIR. He alleged that the police refused to register a complaint citing political pressure.
"It was very disheartening that the police refused to take the complaint despite concrete proof," said Fizah Shah, an activist with In Defence of Animals (IDA).
"Finally an FIR was registered at around 9 pm," Narani said.
The police have detained two of the suspects identified as Sunny and Shyam on Saturday and a hunt is on for the third accused. They said that the accused have been booked under section 429 (mischief by killing or maiming an animal) of the Indian Penal Code. A person can be imprisoned for up to five years in prison.
When contacted, Quaiser Khalid, Additional Commisioner (east region) said that the Chembur police is investigating the case. "Those who are seen attacking the dog in the CCTV footage will be booked," Khalid said.
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/mumbai/crime/Strays-savage-killing-caught-on-CCTV-cam/articleshow/20267335.cms
Dog killers held after initial reluctance by cops
By Mustafa shaikh, Mumbai Mirror | May 27, 2013, 10.08 AM IST
They were released after paying Rs 10,000 for bail on Sunday. A third person is yet to be arrested.
The arrests come a day after Mumbai Mirror reported how residents and locals demanded the accused be arrested. The report said the residents alleged inaction by the police to register an FIR against the accused.
The cops, the residents alleged, offered to settle the case by telling the residents that the dogs were killed in a fit of anger. One of the accused said he was bitten by the stray and he killed it in an act of self-defence.
Only a few weeks ago, residents had found a few stray dogs lying dead with injuries on their face. They had initially assumed they had been run over by vehicles, but they feel that the accused were responsible for the death of those dogs as well, following the CCTV footage.
The CCTV cameras had been installed by Kumar Chetty, a security manager, outside his residence on Inlaks Hospital Road. The CCTV cameras captured two men assaulting the dogs - one of which is owned by Chetty. The men managed to kill the stray, but Chetty's dog Tiger managed to escape after breaking away from its leash.
Chetty found his dog missing on Saturday morning and went hunting for it. He later found the accused holding Tiger's leash. He was told by a witness that a stray was lying dead near a dumping ground and that there was another dog that looked frightened.
Tiger was reunited with Chetty a few hours later.
Chetty then went to the Chembur police station and complained about the incident. However, the cops did not file a complaint. The residents then called up animal activist Bimlesh Narani, who got the cops to regis-ter a complaint against the accused. An FIR was finally registered at 11 pm on Saturday and two of the three accused were arrested.
"One of the accused works in Inlaks General Hospital as a ward boy," said Navani. "Police officials first delayed taking a complaint and later told me to settle the case," said Navani. The accused have been booked under section 429 (mischief by killing or maiming an animal) of the Indian Penal Code and under relevant sections of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
"The accused said they were bitten by the dog, which is why they attacked the animal. Killing a dog for any reason is not acceptable. We did not neglect out duty. We are ready to cooperate with the locals and will investigate the case further," said Police Inspector Subash Khanvilkar of Chembur Police Station.
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/mumbai/crime/Dog-killers-held-after-initial-reluctance-by-cops/articleshow/20286520.cms