Written By: Komal Das
The issue of the killings of stray dogs in the Telangana region once again came to the fore as a case of the killing of almost 100 stray dog killings in the Kishtapur village of the Mancherial district of the Telangana region came to light. A case has been registered by the police after the complaint filed by the animal welfare activist to the police. In the complaint, it has been stated that the Sarpanch and Gram Panchayat Secretary of the region engaged two people to inject the stray dogs with poison and then bury the dead bodies of the stray dogs near the river. There is once again a question mark over the killings of stray dogs in the Telangana region. In the recent months, the killings of stray dogs have resulted in the killing of almost 1,300 stray dogs.
Another shocking incident of the killing of large numbers of animals has come to light from Kishtapur village in Mancherial district. The police confirmed that nearly 100 stray dogs were allegedly poisoned to death in the village.
This incident took place between the intervening night of March 7th and 8th. It has been stated that the dogs were killed after poisonous injections were administered to them.
This has brought to light the practices followed in the treatment of animal welfare in rural areas. In addition to this, this incident has again brought to light the stray dog menace in Telangana.
The incident came to light after the issue was brought to the notice of the police by an animal welfare activist. A complaint regarding the incident was filed by A Goutham.
Goutham is the Cruelty Prevention Manager with the Stray Animal Foundation of India. It is a non-governmental organization that works towards the welfare of animals.
In the complaint, A Goutham stated that around 100 stray dogs were killed between the night of March 7 and the early hours of March 8. There were also charges of the involvement of local authority officials.
According to the complaint filed by the activist, the Sarpanch and Gram Panchayat Secretary of Kishtapur village engaged two persons to kill the stray dogs.
The complaint further stated that the two persons injected the dogs with poison. After that, they buried the dead animals near a river as part of their attempt to cover the crime.
Police attention was immediately given to the complaint. Police soon started investigating the charges.
Police registered the case at Jannaram Police Station after the complaint. The relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act were invoked in this case.
Police officials confirmed that the case has been registered against the Sarpanch and the Gram Panchayat Secretary.
Investigation in this matter has begun. The allegations are being verified. It has also been verified if there were any other people involved in this incident.
According to the officials, the investigation in this matter is ongoing. After gathering enough evidence, the responsibility will be fixed.
Meanwhile, this incident has once again underscored the need for stringent implementation of animal rights laws.
It is to be noted that this incident is not an isolated occurrence. Telangana has witnessed a number of such incidents in recent months.
It has come to light that there were mass slaughters of stray dogs in a number of districts in Telangana in January this year and in December last year too.
These incidents together resulted in a death toll of almost 1,300 stray dogs.
It is to be noted that animal rights activists had lodged a complaint in this incident too. The police had filed cases against a number of local officials in this incident too.
Cases were filed against Sarpanchs, their husbands, Gram Panchayat Secretaries, among others.
It is suspected by the investigators and activists alike that there might have been a political reason behind the killings.
Some of the representatives, it is claimed, promised the people of the area that they would look into the issue of the stray dog population.
The promises, it is claimed, were made as a prelude to the Gram Panchayat Elections, which took place last year in December.
It is claimed by the activists that the representatives might have ordered the killings to prove their point. However, the authorities have yet to confirm the reason behind the killings.
The incident has sparked yet another debate on the issue on how to tackle the stray dog population.
There are many villages and towns which are plagued by the problem of stray dog population. The people living there are raising concerns over this issue.
However, animal welfare organizations are of the view that such killings are not only illegal, but they are unethical too.
According to them, the authorities need to adopt a more humane approach to tackle this problem by implementing animal birth control programmes.
Experts are also of the view that if ABC programmes are implemented properly, the stray dog population can be controlled without resorting to cruelty.
The alleged poisoning of nearly 100 dogs in Mancherial has intensified scrutiny of animal protection enforcement in Telangana.
Police have already registered the case and begun their investigation. Authorities will determine the exact circumstances behind the incident in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, animal welfare organizations continue to monitor the situation closely. They demand strict action if the allegations prove true.
The case has once again exposed the deep tensions between public concerns over stray animals and the legal obligation to protect them.
Ultimately, the outcome of this investigation may influence how local authorities address stray dog management across the state.