Find the fiends

Animal rights activists in the city argue that the death of 20 dogs should be taken more seriously.

Residents of Jakkasandra woke up to a nasty shock on the morning of November 21, when they found 20 strays dead and piled up near the garbage dump. They also found scattered pieces of meat, which they quickly realised, were poisoned.


Unsolved Mystery: Almost a month after the dogs were killed, cops
still remain clueless as to who the killers might be. Representation pic

However, almost a month after the dogs were killed, cops still remain clueless as to who the killers might be. The list of suspects varies from BPO employees who reside in the locale to rag pickers who clean up the streets. Jakkasandra, a well-populated suburb both in terms of humans and canines, also has a large number of rented homes with residents who work the graveyard shift.

Inspector M L Purushotam from the Madivala police station, said, "We have not made any arrests yet because we have no reliable clues. We have questioned over 30 people from residents to rag pickers in the area." He added, "We have put in enough efforts so far and we will continue to do so."

B L Gangadhara, President of the Jakkasandra Extension Residents Welfare Association, said, "These days the government just doesn't seem to be interested in keeping a tab on dogs. They reproduce so quickly here. We have no idea who might have killed them." He added, "I know that the stray dogs have attacked passersby at night. It could have been one of them."

Not cyanide
BBMP, Assistant Director of Animal Husbandry (South), H S Jagannath, said, " The post-mortem has been conducted and we can rule out cyanide and green phosphorous as a potential poison, because the tests were negative. But the forensic testing has not even begun from the police's end. Until that is done, we won't know what really killed the dogs."

With the police coming up empty on potential perpetrators, animal rights activists cry foul saying more ought to be done to avenge the mass murder.

Animal rights groupu00a0 Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) went as far as to putting up posters in Jakkasandra, offering a reward of Rs 20,000 for anyone who had information that might lead to an arrest.

Murder is murder
Sandhya Madappa, a CUPA trustee, said, "It's up to the police now to do something. We have put up posters everywhere but no one has come forward yet." He added, "We can only pressure the authorities to find the killers, but ultimately, it's up to them to do something about it."

Other organisations are just as vocal about the killings as CUPA. Most expressed surprised that these killings weren't being treated as importantly as manslaughter.

Dilip Basna, a trustee with the Animal Rights Fund, said, "The laws in our country aren't stricter." He added, "I don't see that changing now either. Murder is still murder at the end of the day."

Poorva Joshipura, Chief Functionary of PETA India, said, "Animals, like people, are made of blood, flesh and bone and they have feelings and the capacity to suffer and to feel pain. Turning a blind eye to cruelty to animals negatively impacts society at large." She added, "The abusers must be brought to justice."