TELANGANA: More than 70 stray dogs were allegedly killed by administering poison injections in Yacharam panchayat limits of Ranga Reddy district a few days ago, triggering official action.
Postmortem ordered after complaint
The incident came to light after Menaka Gandhi, founder of People For Animals and a former Union minister, took up the matter with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy over the phone. Representatives of Stay Animals Foundation also lodged a complaint at the Yacharam police station.
Police register case, exhume bodies
Police booked the panchayat's elected body, secretary and staff, and launched an investigation. Sub-inspector Madhu questioned panchayat staff, elected representatives and the secretary till Wednesday night, during which the sequence of events emerged.
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According to police, poison injections were administered to dogs seen on village streets about four to five days ago. The carcasses were then transported in a panchayat tractor and buried in pits dug in nearby hillocks.
On Thursday, police reached the burial site near the village and exhumed the remains using a JCB. Veterinary officials conducted postmortems on 37 dog carcasses. The remains were reburied at the same location after the examination.
Minister seeks strict action
Reacting strongly, Panchayat Raj Minister Seethakka directed senior officials to initiate legal action against those responsible.