Courtesy AAPN: Post-mortem nails dog 'killer'

Courtesy AAPN: Post-mortem nails dog 'killer', Maneka Gandhi helps complainants

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_post-mortem-nails-dog-killer-maneka-gandhi-helps-complainants_1390391

Post-mortem nails dog 'killer'; Maneka Gandhi helps complainants
Deepa Suryanarayan / DNA
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 1:53 IST

*Mumbai: *When the residents of Mangal Aadesh Society in Santa Cruz (East)
found the stray dog they had adopted 10 years ago lying dead in their
building compound, they decided to see that the culprit was brought to book.

Angered by the incident, members of the 28 flats in the society insisted
that a post-mortem be performed on the dog and even roped in the help of
animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi.

“On May 8, one of the society members, Farooque Yusuf Ragaria, ran his car
over the society dog, Sammy, and wounded him,” said Meenakshi Shedde, a
resident. “When we confronted him, he threatened to kill the second society
dog, Diana. This shows that Sammy’s death was not an accident, but a
deliberate murder.”

Shedde said they registered a complaint with the Vakola police after Sammy
died on May 11.

“To get more evidence, we sent Sammy’s body for a post-mortem to the Bombay
Veterinary College (Parel Animal Hospital). The report concluded that the
dog had ‘died of massive trauma on the right side of the body’,” said
Nandini Sen Sharma, secretary of the society.

Shedde also wrote to Maneka Gandhi asking for help. “She responded to my
email in 48 hours, and within three days the culprit was arrested by the
police and taken to court,” she said.

Gandhi informed Suresh Kadam, assistant secretary of the Bombay Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA), who sent his team to ensure
action from the Vakola police station.

“We arrested the accused on Saturday under Section 428 (mischief by killing,
poisoning, maiming or rendering useless any animal) of the IPC. He was
produced in the metropolitan court on the same day and was released on
bail,” said sub-inspector M Ingle of Vakola police station. “We have
recorded the statements of the chairman, secretary and a few other society
members. We will also be talking to the eyewitnesses,” he said.

According to locals, Ragaria is a habitual offender. “Numerous police
complaints have been registered against him for criminal intimidation and
sexual harassment. Hence, the dog case must not be seen in isolation as a
stray case,” said a member of the managing committee on condition of
anonymity.