At least 50 stray dogs were allegedly poisoned and killed by members of the Sanskruthi Township, near Ghatkesar in Hyderabad, alleged activist and chairman of Compassionate Society of Animals, NS Pravalika. The activist alleged that the township’s committee members hired dog killers from Andhra Pradesh.
Pravalika further alleged that the dogs were injected with poison and that the carcasses were soon disposed of using garbage vans before someone could notice and raise an alarm. The alleged incident took place on Friday. Pravalika said that she will approach the High Court as the police are reluctant to lodge an FIR against the offenders.
In a statement, Pravalika said that township committee President Bal Reddy and Secretary Janardhan Reddy played the main role in having the dogs killed.
“It was a pre-planned murder. The locals told me that the dog killers used injections and waited for them to die, and cleared the bodies. They left no traces. They knew that if the bodies were left there, an autopsy would be conducted and revealed that the dogs were poisoned. They planned it well,” she told TNM.
Though she has filed a case with the Ghatkesar police (which falls under the Rachakonda police limits), an FIR is yet to be registered. The police said that there is no evidence or witness to the incident, and hence the FIR hasn’t been registered.
“The local police are very reluctant in the case. They are siding with the township members and have further questioned me about how sure I am that the crime was committed by them,” Pravalika said.
Alleging police laxity in the case, she said, “I will approach the High Court and get the accused booked.”
Ghatkesar Inspector of Police Raghuveer Reddy said, “She has not submitted any evidence so far. But we are investigating the case. If the crime is proven, we will file a case against the offenders under relevant sections of animal cruelty”.