Dehradun Police Files FIR against a Serving Army Officer for ‘Killing’ Three Stray Dogs

Dehradun Police has filed FIR against a serving Army officer accused of killing three stray dogs. Three dogs reportedly died after the army office beat them with a stick. Two other dogs were also injured in this incident.

According to the TOI, the police and army officials are currently investigating the incident. The accused says he beat the dogs in self-defense. The bodies of three dogs were not found at the spot, but Garhi Cantt police station officer in-charge Shankar Singh Bisht said that they are investigating the matter and are yet to speak to the accused officer.

On Friday evening, an animal rights activist alleged that a serving Army officer was involved in killing three stray dogs and injuring two others.  Puja Bahukhandi—the vice president of Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the founding member of an animal shelter ‘Raahat’ in the city—says she came to know about the incident in the Garhi Cantt area on Thursday.

“I reached the spot and found the dogs, who had been beaten with a stick. The attack was so vicious that three dogs died and two were seriously injured,” Bahukhandi told TOI.

She added that when she talked to the accused officer, he did not “seem to regret his act”.

“The officer said that he acted in self-defense because the dogs attacked him when he was out on the street on Wednesday night, but he showed no remorse for killing innocent animals,” Puja said.

Puja Bahukhandi also revealed that she has written to Union women and child welfare minister Maneka Gandhi in this regard.

A senior Army official told TOI that the incident might have been caused after an argument between the accused army officer and another officer who used to feed the stray dogs.

“The accused officer had claimed that he was attacked by the strays while taking his own dogs out for a walk. This might have triggered the attack on the strays,” the senior officer added.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/fir-against-army-officer-for-killing-stray-dogs/articleshow/58661862.cms