Koheda police have registered an FIR against the Baswapur sarpanch and others over the alleged killing of dogs on September 20, following intervention by PETA India and Stray Animal Foundation India (SAFI). The remains of three dogs were exhumed from Muthannapet for post‑mortem examination, while the total number of dogs allegedly killed remained unknown. (DC)

 Hyderabad: Koheda police have registered an FIR against the Baswapur sarpanch and others over the alleged killing of dogs on September 20, following intervention by PETA India and Stray Animal Foundation India (SAFI). The remains of three dogs were exhumed from Muthannapet for post‑mortem examination, while the total number of dogs allegedly killed remained unknown.

The FIR, registered on September 24, booked the case under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita regarding the killing of animals and Section 11(1)(l) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

Complainant Adulapuram Gowtham, manager with SAFI, told police that he visited Baswapur on September 24 along with activists Rajani Moola and Elaprolu Anitha. The complaint alleged that the sarpanch hired persons to kill stray dogs using “Sucol injections” and that the carcasses were buried in Muthannapet.

“Local authorities have a responsibility to manage community dog populations through effective sterilisation programmes, not by killing animals, which is both unlawful and ineffective,” said Saloni Sakaria, associate manager of cruelty response, PETA India.

The organisation cited Rule 11(19) of the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, requiring dogs taken for sterilisation to be released in the same locality. PETA also referred to a Supreme Court judgment dated May 19, 2026, reiterating that community dogs must be returned to their territories after prescribed procedures.

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