500 strays, one vote promise, a mass murder wave later - Telangana police probe why dogs were mercilessly killed | Today News

Poll promise behind death of ‘four-paws’? Telangana has been grappling with a chilling wave of alleged stray dog killings that has left about 500 canines dead within a week, triggering police investigations into the matter.

Sources from villages said some elected representatives, including sarpanches, allegedly carried out the killings to "fulfill promises made to villagers" during the recent gram panchayat elections to tackle the stray dog menace, reported news wire PTI.

The latest incident of stray dog killings was reported from Telangana’s Kamareddy district, where 200 dogs were allegedly culled – taking the toll to about 500, as per police officials.

Animal welfare activist Adulapuram Goutham, in a complaint filed at Machareddy police station on Monday, alleged that nearly 200 stray dogs were killed over the past two to three days across five villages in Palwancha mandal of Kamareddy district.

Goutham said he found dog carcasses dumped in Bhavanipet village and later learnt that similar incidents had occurred in Palwancha, Faridpet, Wadi and Bandarameshwarapally.

Based on his complaint, police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act against six persons, including five sarpanches, a police official said.

Earlier, police in Hanamkonda district had booked nine persons, including two women sarpanches and their husbands, in connection with the alleged killing of around 300 stray dogs in Shayampet and Arepally villages.

Villages sources alleged that the killings were linked to promises made by candidates ahead of the gram panchayat elections held last year in December.

"Ahead of the gram panchayat elections held in December last year, some candidates promised villagers they would tackle the stray dog and monkey menace. They are now allegedly ‘fulfilling’ those promises by killing stray dogs," sources said.

Police officials said carcasses were buried in the outskirts of villages – adding that veterinary teams exhumed the bodies and conducted post-mortem examinations.

In his complaint, activist Goutham had also claimed the killings were carried out at the behest of village sarpanches, who allegedly hired a person to administer poisonous injections.

To establish the exact cause of death, and the type of poison used – viscera samples have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, senior police official told PTI.

Police said a case has been registered against six persons, including five village sarpanches, for their alleged involvement in the incident.