RAMANATHAPURAM: A 48-year-old cleanliness worker at Mudukulathur town panchayat was suspended following a police inquiry over a viral video in which he was seen beating a pet dog to death.
According to official sources, the cleanliness worker, S Murugesan, has been working as a sweeper at Mudukulathur town panchayat for the past six years and is a resident of Uzhavan Thoppu.
In the video that went viral, Murugesan was spotted thrashing the dog to death on a street. Following the social media buzz, Mudukulathur VAO S Anbuselvan lodged a complaint against Murugesan and the owner of the pet dog A Bharathi Das (82), a resident of Konnadi Vinayagan Street, at Mudukulathur police station on Thursday.
Police sources said, “On Wednesday, Bharathi Das reportedly asked Murugesan who is posted on duty in the locality, to thrash the dog as it became rabid. Heeding to the octogenarian’s request, Murugesan had beaten the dog to death in full public view.”
The two men were booked under the sections 290, 429 of Indian Penal Code read with Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and were arrested and later let off on bail. As part of departmental action, Murugesan was suspended from duty.