Dog bludgeoned to death right behind owner's house

Mystery shrouds the death of a nine-year-old mongrel that was found with its head bludgeoned right behind its owner’s house in Domlur, East Bengaluru, last week.

Bruno, a nine-year-old female dog, was a loving pet of interior decorators Rupa Banerjee, 50, and her husband Pravin. The couple lives in Amarjyothi Layout, East Wing.

On March 26, around 7.30 am, Bruno went out of the house, probably to relieve itself, but never came back alive. “It would usually go to one of the two vacant sites near the house to relieve itself and come back fast. But on that day, it never returned,” a police officer quoted Rupa as saying in the complaint.

Rupa then went looking for it and was horrified to find it in a pool of blood minutes later. Bruno’s head was smashed with a blunt object. Rupa rushed it to a veterinarian who x-rayed the canine and found its skull fractured. The dog had died by then. The couple lodged a complaint at the jurisdictional Jeevan Bima Nagar police station three days later.

Police have opened a case against unknown people under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and IPC section 428 (mischief by killing or maiming an animal). There is an under-construction building near the place where Bruno was found and police picked up a few labourers for questioning. But the labourers may not be involved, police said but affirmed that it was not an accident either as the residential locality sees little traffic. Meanwhile, Rupa and her husband have gone abroad. Police are awaiting their return to question them whether they suspect anyone.