In a fresh case of mass killing of stray dogs in Telangana, around 50 canines were allegedly poisoned to death in Yacharam village on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The incident is reported to have occurred on January 19.
Following the incident, the police have registered a case against local elected representatives.
Acting on a complaint filed by an animal welfare activist, the Yacharam police registered a case against the village sarpanch, the panchayat secretary and a ward member.
While the complainant alleged that nearly 100 dogs were killed by injecting them with poisonous substances, preliminary verification by the police and inquiries with villagers suggest that about 50 dogs may have died. Further investigation is under way to ascertain the exact number and to trace the carcasses, officials said.
The incident adds to a spate of similar cases reported across the State. Since January 6, nearly 500 stray dogs have allegedly been killed in different districts of Telangana.
Investigators suspect that some elected representatives may have resorted to illegal killings to address public complaints about stray dogs and to fulfil promises made during the gram panchayat elections held in December last year.
(With inputs from PTI)