PETA India Works With Ujjain Police to Ensure Arrest of Abusers Who Drowned Dog in Viral Video
After offering a reward and making a nationwide appeal for help with identifying two males shown in a video tying a community dog by his mouth and legs and throwing him into a pond to drown while hurling stones at him, PETA India worked with the Ujjain police to locate the perpetrators – as well as a third person who made the video of the gruesome act – and ensured that a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against them and that they were arrested. In the FIR, the offence is booked under sections 34 and 429 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 11(1)(a) of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. After hearing about the dog’s death, Athiya Shetty, Suniel Shetty, and Heena Sidhu shared our appeal for information about the incident on social media.
These people need to be found and strict action needs to take place, possibly worse than what they’ve done to this poor dog. This is beyond disgusting and heartbreaking https://t.co/ODC6T0jUrM
— Athiya Shetty (@theathiyashetty) May 19, 2020
Section 34 of the IPC addresses criminal acts committed by several persons in furtherance of a common intention, and Section 429 prohibits the mischievous killing of an animal, making offenders liable to be punished with a five-year jail term, with or without a fine.
Research shows that people who commit acts of cruelty against animals are often repeat offenders who move on to hurt other animals or humans. In a study of domestic violence victims, 60% of women said that their abusive partners had harmed or killed their dogs or other animals. While the IPC carries stricter penalties, PETA India has long campaigned to strengthen the nation’s PCA Act, 1960, which contains outdated, inadequate penalties, such as a maximum fine of only Rs 50 for convicted first-time offenders.
