Telangana police detain three for shooting 20 stray dogs

Hyderabad: Telangana police detained a wealthy farmer and two of his friends for killing 20 stray dogs on February 16.

Last month in a shocking incident at least 20 stray dogs were shot dead in Telangana's Mahabubnagar district. After registering a case and investigating, the police had found out that it was a revenge killing.

Mahabubnagar superintendent of police, Harshvardhan said that Manda Narasimah Reddy, 57, belonging to Devunipalli village of Farukhnagar mandal in Rangareddy district has been living in Red Hills in Hyderabad.

On the night of February 16 he along with his two accomplices Tareeq Ahmed, 42 and Mohammed Thaher 40, visited Ponnakal village of Addakula mandal in Mahabubnagar district and shot 20 stray dogs. Reddy killed the stray dogs with Tareeq’s licensed .22 rifle.

The SP noted that Ponnakal is Narasimha Reddy's in-law's place. During one of his visits to Ponnakal in the first week of February, stray dogs in that area killed one of Reddy's daschund pet dogs Mintu and injured another pet dog Jade.

In a bid to avenge the death of his pet dog, Reddy along with his two friends returned to Ponnakal and shot all the 20 strays in the early hours of February 16 and left the place.

In the midnight of February 16, locals said they had heard sounds of guns firing. But, none ventured out of their homes due to fear. Postmortem was conducted on the dead dogs by the veterinary specialists of the state animal husbandry department.

Police on Tuesday, arrested the three and seized a Mercedes Benz car belonging to Narasimah Reddy and also the weapon used to kill the dogs.

They were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.