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| A video published by NewsX shows the animal rights activists wearing masks and lifting dog carcasses |
June 15, 2016, NewsCrunch
About 50 stray dogs were burned alive at Keezhamur village near Melmaruvathur, about two hout drive, on June 5.
About 70 dogs were reportedly fed with meat poisoned with pesticides. As the animals lay writhing in agony, the dogs which were still alive were doused with kerosene and set on fire.
Under pressure from animal rights activists Melmaruvathur police have arrested - Murali, Muthu, Murugadoss and Jeeva of the village, reports The Times of India.
The accused were upset that the dogs had been mauling their sheep and goat and resorted to culling them.
The barbaric incident came to light when an engineering student and an animal rights activist P Ashwath received a tip off and visited the village with his two friends, Praveen Kumar and Sanjay Yadav, four days after the incident.
They were shocked to see poisoned and charred carcasses of dogs strewn all over a farm and on the bank of a nearby stream.
They say the air was filled with foul stench and several crows, cats and birds had also died of feeding on the rotting carcasses. The friends collected the carcasses and burnt them fully to prevent further carnage, reports The New Indian Express.
A video published by NewsX shows the animal rights activists wearing masks and lifting carcasses.
It is not clear if other villagers were also involved with the act, but they seemed to be supportive of the killing of the dogs. The police were also allegedly reluctant to pursue the case have now registered a case under IPC Section 429 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.