In a shocking incident, nearly 100 stray dogs were allegedly poisoned to death in Kishtapur village of Mancherial district in Telangana, police said.
According to officials, the killings reportedly took place on the intervening night of March 7–8, triggering outrage among animal welfare activists.
Complaint Filed By Animal Welfare Activist
An activist, A Goutham, who works as a Cruelty Prevention Manager with the Stray Animal Foundation of India, lodged a complaint with police regarding the incident.
In his complaint, Goutham alleged that the village Sarpanch and the Gram Panchayat Secretary of Kishtapur had hired two individuals to kill the stray dogs.
According to the allegation, the animals were given poisonous injections and later buried near a river.
Police Register Case
Based on the complaint, police registered a case at Jannaram Police Station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
Officials confirmed that the case has been filed against the Sarpanch and the Gram Panchayat Secretary, and further investigation is currently underway.
Series Of Stray Dog Killings In Telangana
This is not the first such incident in the state. Several mass killings of stray dogs were reported across different districts of Telangana in December last year and January this year.
Animal welfare groups claim that around 1,300 stray dogs have been killed in similar incidents during that period.
Following those cases, police had registered complaints against Sarpanchs, their spouses, Gram Panchayat Secretaries and other individuals, based on petitions filed by activists.
Allegations Linked To Local Elections
According to activists, many of the killings were allegedly carried out by local elected representatives attempting to fulfill pre-election promises made to villagers.
Ahead of the Gram Panchayat elections held in December, some candidates reportedly promised to address the growing stray dog menace, which has led to increasing tensions between residents and animal welfare groups.