Hyderabad: Police have registered a case against the sarpanch of Yacharam village and two other gram panchayat representatives following the alleged poisoning of a large number of stray dogs near Hyderabad, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident took place in Yacharam village, where nearly 100 stray dogs were allegedly killed after being administered a poisonous substance. An animal welfare activist associated with the Stray Animal Foundation of India lodged a complaint at the Yacharam police station, claiming the dogs were deliberately injected with poison on January 19.
Based on the complaint, police booked the village sarpanch, the panchayat secretary and a ward member under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. However, police officials said preliminary verification suggested that around 50 dogs may have died, adding that the investigation is still at an initial stage.
Authorities said efforts are underway to locate the carcasses of the animals to gather forensic evidence and establish the exact sequence of events. The final number of deaths will be confirmed after further inquiry, officials added.
The Yacharam incident is part of a disturbing trend reported across Telangana, where nearly 500 stray dogs have reportedly died in similar incidents since January 6, according to police data cited by PTI.
In Hanamkonda district, cases were recently registered against nine individuals, including two women sarpanches and their husbands, over the alleged killing of around 300 stray dogs in Shayampet and Arepally villages. A separate incident in Kamareddy district reportedly involved the killing of nearly 200 stray dogs, leading to cases against six people, including five village sarpanches.
Investigators believe that in some cases, elected village representatives may have ordered or facilitated the killings in response to complaints from residents about the growing stray dog population. Police suspect that such actions may have been linked to assurances given to villagers ahead of the gram panchayat elections held in December last year.
Officials said investigations are ongoing across districts, and strict legal action will be taken against those found responsible for the killings.
