UP Man Booked Under Animal Cruelty For Tying Stone To A Rat's Tail, Drowning It In A Drain

In a rather unusual development, Police in Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, have filed a 30-page chargesheet against a man who is accused of animal cruelty after he drowned a rat.

According to reports, the incident happened in November last year.

Police said the accused, identified as Manoj Kumar, allegedly tied a stone to a rat's tail and drowned it in a drain.

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Booked for killing rat

On November 25, police received a complaint against Manoj Kumar for cruelty against an animal. Police said animal activist Vikendra Sharma reported to them that Kumar threw a rat into a drain after tying a stone to its tail. Sharma said he entered the drain to save the rat, but it died later.

Following the complaint, the rat's carcass was sent to a veterinary hospital in Budaun for autopsy, but the staff refused to examine it. The carcass was then sent to Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly.

Forensic examination showed the rat's lungs were swollen and it died due to a lung infection. "Our experts concluded the rat died due to asphyxiation caused by lung infection," KP Singh, joint director of IVRI, said.

Fool-proof investigation by police

Meanwhile, Kumar was booked under IPC Section 429 (slaughtering an animal) and also under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act.

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The police investigation joined "each and every sequence" and prepared the chargesheet based on the forensic report, videos in the media, and information collected from different departments, Circle Officer (City) Alok Mishra told PTI.

Police said that to make the chargesheet strong, the post-mortem examination report has been used as a base.

Could face two years in jail

According to senior advocate Rajiv Kumar Sharma, Kumar could face up to Rs 2,000 fine and three years of jail.

"Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, there is a provision of fine from Rs 10 to Rs 2,000 and three years of imprisonment. And under Section 429 of IPC, there is a provision for five years of imprisonment or fine or both," he said.

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Book everyone who kill rats: father

Kumar's father, Mathura Prasad, however, said, "Killing of rats and crows is not wrong. These are harmful creatures."

"Rats had damaged the utensils made using soil, and had turned them into mounds of soil. This caused mental and financial problems to him. If action is taken against my son, then action should also be taken against those who butcher goats, hens and fish. Action should also be taken against those who sell the rat-killing chemical," Prasad added.

Is killing rats a crime?

Rats were listed under the Schedule V of the Wildlife Protection Act and are considered vermin, the killing of which is legal.

Earlier this year, rats, common crows, and fruit bats were moved to Schedule II, a protected category.

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