20 April,2016 12:00 PM IST | | Vijay Kumar Yadav
The senior citizen whisked the puppies away to an unknown location in February; an FIR was registered against him after he returned with only two of the four abandoned puppies
Ajay Sangoi is not a friend of the dogs. The 61-year-old has been booked by the Mulund police for allegedly picking up four stray puppies from his housing society compound and dumping them in an unknown place.
Ranjan Zala, an animal lover, lodged the complaint against Ajay Sangoi
A member of the same society had made a police complaint against him, alleging that he had committed the act to harm the dogs.
One of the rescued puppies was later taken to the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital (Parel Veterinary Hospital) for medical treatment. Unfortunately, she died. Pics/Rajesh Gupta
Sangoi, a resident of Doctor Ghor Society in Mulund West was booked on the complaint of Ranjan Zala (47), a schoolteacher who resides in the same society. Zala is an animal lover who, for the last 20 years, has been feeding and vaccinating street dogs.
In her complaint to the police (mid-day has a copy) Zala has stated that on February 20, Sangoi picked up four puppies from the society compound and took them away in an autorickshaw and abandoned them in an unknown place.
Retrieved only two
She also claimed in the complaint that a 12-year-old boy from the society had seen Sangoi taking away the puppies in an autorickshaw.
On learning about Sangoi's alleged involvement in the incident, she approached the Mulund police next day and narrated the entire incident to police. Sangoi was called at the police station and after a long discussion, he agreed to retrieve the four puppies, after which she did not file any case against Sangoi.
Sangoi retrieved one puppy from Mulund East on the same day and on March 15, Zala managed to trace another puppy with the help of an aide near TipTop Plaza.
However, two more puppies are still untraced.
Zala told police that Sangoi is not disclosing details about other two puppies. Hence, on April 13, she lodged an FIR stating that Sangoi might have abandoned the animals with the intention of harming them.
One of the rescued puppies was later taken to the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital (Parel Veterinary Hospital) for medical treatment. Unfortunately, she died.
Cop says
Sub-inspector Sunil Sonawane of the Mulund police station, who is an investigating officer in the case, said, "Based on Zala's complaint, we have registered a case against Sangoi, who claimed that the dogs were a nuisance. We have summoned Sangoi to record his statement."
Police have booked Sangoi under Section 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle, etc) of Indian Penal Code and Section 11(1)(d)(conveys or carries, whether in or upon any vehicle or not, any animal in such a manner or position as to subject it to unnecessary pain or suffering) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
