Severed animal head found in dustbin in Thane locality; cops launch probe

Thane: Tension prevailed at a locality in Maharashtra's Thane city after the severed head of an animal, suspected to be of a buffalo, was found in a dustbin, police said on Monday.

The police later reached the Hajuri locality in Wagle Estate area on Sunday night and defused the tension, they said, adding the samples of the carcass were sent for an examination.

Some people spotted the severed animal head in a dustbin in the locality on Sunday night and raised an alarm, Wagle Estate police station's senior inspector Shivaji Gaware said.

This quickly drew a crowd and led to demands for immediate police action, he said.

"A situation of public unrest developed where several people gathered and demanded the police register a criminal case and nab the culprit," Gaware stated.

"The situation escalated when some (activists from) Hindu organisations raised the issue, launched a protest and persisted with their demand for an investigation," he added.

The police immediately took steps to pacify the situation, the official said.

The Wagle Estate police seized the carcass and its samples have been sent to a lab for analysis. A veterinary doctor was also called to the spot for a preliminary verification, he said.

"The police are awaiting report of the analysis...we suspect the carcass to be of a buffalo," Gaware said.

"We have registered an FIR against an unidentified person under sections 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 302 (uttering words, etc, with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings of any person. and 325 (mischief by killing or maiming animal) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act-1976," he said.

No one has been arrested so far, he said, adding a probe was on into the case.