In A Shocking Incident, An Army Major Beats 3 Stray Dogs To Death In Dehradun

An Army officer, who has been accused of beating three stray dogs to death and causing severe injuries to two others at the Garhi Cantonment area, has proceeded on leave.

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A police investigation and an Army court of inquiry are looking into the charges which are grave enough to have created a major controversy among defence personnel and civilians, with dog-lovers even appealing to the Army Chief, Gen Bipin Rawat, to act on the matter.

On the evening of May 11, according to the FIR filed after the incident, Major Manish Thapa of the Intelligence Corps was out for a walk when he came across a Lieutenant Colonel feeding stray dogs on the street. He then allegedly attacked the dogs with an iron rod, killing three of them and severely injuring two others, in front of shocked eyewitnesses.

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One of the witnesses, on condition of anonymity, told TOI, "At around 11pm, we heard dogs yelping in pain. We rushed outside and saw the officer chasing and beating the dogs with a rod. We tried to stop the attack but by the time we found them, three dogs were dead. The officer then managed to dispose of the dogs. A fourth dog was unconscious while a fifth was injured."

Early on May 12, after being informed of the vicious attack, animal rights activist Puja Bahukhandi arrived at the spot and took the injured dogs with her and filed an FIR against Maj Thapa. "We have questioned witnesses, including the officer's neighbours. We have seen the two injured dogs, one of which had suffered a severe head injury. It was evident that they had been beaten. We have not located the bodies of the three dogs so far," said inspector N D Pandey, office in charge of the investigation.

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Maj Thapa, said the police officer, had gone on leave and was not in the city. "His phone is also not reachable. However, it is still a case of cruelty against animals. We have been informed that he will return and be available for questioning shortly," Pandey added.

A court of inquiry has been instituted by the Army to look into the incident, while a storm of criticism has erupted against the accused officer. Two Chennai medical students who allegedly threw a puppy from the third floor of a building in July 2016 had been tracked and arrested after a public outcry. A similar backlash is now brewing against Maj Thapa. A petition on Facebook urging Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat to take action against Thapa has already got 2,000 signatures. "An altercation does not justify killing dogs. Even if the bodies are not found, authorities should take strict action against Thapa," said Bahukhandi.