The Kerala police have booked three persons including a panchayat member in Ernakulam for allegedly killing stray dogs.
A case has been filed against Njarakkal panchayat member Mini Raju, Janaseva Sishubhavan chief Jose Maveli and DYFI member Lyju Joseph.
A team of medical experts exhumed the bodies of 7 stray dogs that were buried in a public ground adjacent to the panchayat office on Tuesday.
The police registered a case against the accused on Tuesday after video footage surfaced which showed the three accused injecting the stray dogs.
"We filed the case on Tuesday itself when the matter was brought to our notice. However, finding the spot where they had buried the stray dogs was difficult and took us nearly three days. The bodies of the 7 dogs have been sent for post-mortem," Njarakkal Sub-Inspector Ragesh Kumar told The News Minute.
The accused have been booked under Section 428 and 429 ( Mischief by killing or maiming animal), section 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC and Section 11 of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Businessman Kochouseph Chittilappilly, who has been actively campaigning against the stray dog menace in the state extended his support for the accused calling it as "the courage and commitment (by Mini Raju) to a people's issue."
"I heard that seven youngsters in the panchayat had committed the 'offence', if at all. It's no matter of worry as they can get bail from the station itself by paying a fine of Rs. 50," he wrote on Facebook on Friday.
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