As many as 20 dogs were killed and several injured after four unidentified persons opened fire at them at Ponnakal village in Telangana’s Mahbubnagar district on February 15. The police have booked them and launched an investigation to nab the absconding suspects.

According to media reports, four masked men came in a car around 1.30 am on February 15 and wandered on the roads. They allegedly opened fire at the stray dogs. After receiving the information, Bhutpur CI Ramakrishna, Addakula SI Srinivasulu and the staff of veterinary doctors reached the spot and called for veterinary staff to tend to the injured dogs.

A case has been registered under the Arms Act and the Animal Cruelty Act against the perpetrators. The postmortem examination of the dogs are awaited and an investigation is underway to nab the assailants, said the police.