Man hangs, stabs cat for dirtying house; says would've done the same to a child

The photo of the accused hanging the cat that went viral

After a picture of a man killing a cat by hanging it from the roof of his hut went viral and caused outrage on social media, the RCF police booked the perpetrator, a Chembur resident, yesterday for the act.

The case was filed after animal rights activist Nirali Koradia lodged a complaint against Sanjay Gade, 40. Koradia was alerted by an animal lover staying the area, who recognised the accused from the viral photo, clicked on May 14, and told her about him. Koradia had then taken the local and police to Gade's house for identification. When she asked him if he would have done the same to a child, the accused replied, "Bachcha hota toh bhi wohi karta. Main paagal hoon."

While an FIR has been filed, the police haven't arrested the accused as he suffers from a brain tumour and can't walk properly. "He killed the cat by hanging it and stabbing it with screwdrivers multiple times. When we asked him why, he said the animal had been dirtying his room," said Shrikant Desai, senior inspector.

When asked if the police would arrest him, Desai replied with a vague "later" owing to his "poor health". "I called him at the police station, but his condition is so severe, that he fainted on reaching here. We had to send him back home."

Gade has been found guilty under IPC section 201 for dumping the cat's body, besides section 11 (1) A, C, L under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and section 119 of the Bombay Police Act.

Animal activists are seething over the brutal way in which the feline was murdered over a trivial issue. "The man doesn't seem in his senses. The cat had struggled so much, that his hands were covered with scratches. Thankfully, someone anonymously clicked a picture of the act, or else, such a malicious incident would have gone unreported," said Koradia.

Also Read: Mumbai: Man jumps off bridge after fight with mother over pet cat

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