The Hyderabad police have booked a veterinary doctor for negligence that led to the death of a pet dog at Pragati Bhavan, the official residence of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
According to reports, a case under section 429 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 11 (4) of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act was booked against Doctor Ranjit and the in-charge of a private veterinary clinic, Dr Laxmi Srinivasan, at Banjara Hills police station on Saturday.
There are nine dogs at guard in Pragathi Bhavan, of which two roam around the premises of the building. The 11-month-old dog, named Husky, belonged to the Hulk breed, which is a cross between a pit bull terrier and a bulldog.
Husky died allegedly after the veterinarian administered an injection on September 11.
Based on a complaint filed by Asif Ali Khan, the handler of pet dogs at Pragati Bhavan, the police registered a case and have launched a probe. The complainant alleged that the dog died due to negligence by the doctor and the in-charge of the clinic.
According to the complaint, Husky suddenly took ill on September 10. Husky hadn’t eaten anything on Tuesday and didn’t have milk on Wednesday, following which the veterinary doctor was called. The doctor is said to have administered a liver tonic after which the canine’s health deteriorated rapidly. Husky was then rushed to the clinic where the dog was declared dead.
The complaint, against the doctor and the owner of the clinic, was lodged the next day. According to reports, a post-mortem was conducted on the dog to ascertain the cause of death.
Following the case, the opposition leaders in the state questioned the state’s laxity in addressing dengue deaths and other fever-related deaths in Hyderabad. “If a vet is booked for the death of a pet, then who should be booked for the hundreds who died because of viral fever?” Congress MLA Jayaprakash Reddy asked in the assembly on Saturday.
Malkajgiri MP Revanth Reddy said that while the life of a pet dog at Pragathi Bhavan was considered valuable, there was no value for human life in ‘golden’ Telangana.
(With inputs from IANS)