New Delhi: A gruesome incident this week in which an infant was reportedly mauled to death by stray dogs at a government hospital in Rajasthan’s Sirohi district, has led to another tragedy. Many stray dogs and puppies in the area have been rounded up, tortured, and dumped in a secluded forest area by Sirohi authorities, animal welfare activists have alleged.
Disturbing videos shared on social media purportedly show municipal workers manhandling the dogs with metal tongs, dragging them across streets, and throwing them into a truck. Some of the animals in the videos appear to be injured or in pain.
Municipality in Sirohi relocated dogs in brutal conditions. They are not telling us the location and left dogs in tied conditions. Please help us to find these dogs. They can’t survive there. #HelpDogsinSirohi @RajGovOfficial pic.twitter.com/XmyXswyGzn
— Trapti Jain Ⓥ 🌱 (@Vegantrapti) March 3, 2023
The chain of events started Monday night at the Sirohi district hospital. According to a PTI report, a month-old baby was sleeping next to his mother in the tuberculosis ward of the hospital, where the infant’s father was admitted. The police said CCTV footage showed that two dogs entered the ward and then emerged with the infant. An NDTV report also quoted the child’s father as saying that his wife woke up and “found the dogs mauling a child”.
However, even as questions arose about the hospital’s possible culpability in the tragedy, the Sirohi district administration launched a drive Tuesday to pick up all the stray dogs in the vicinity. They allegedly used tongs, the use of which is banned by the Animal Birth Control Rules 2022, to trap the animals before allegedly dumping them in a forest.
A local animal welfare group in Abu Road town, People For Street Dogs, has written to the Animal Welfare Board of India, the Sirohi director general of police (DGP), People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, and the Rajasthan home minister, among others, to take action in the matter of “animal cruelty”.
The letter, which ThePrint has seen, said that the dogs allegedly rounded up were “in pain”, “bleeding”, and “left to die” in the jungle without food and water.
It also questioned as to how the incident could have happened in the hospital despite the “presence of staff and guards”. It further asked how the district authorities were not aware that “illegal street vendors are running stalls…near the hospital and (dogs) were feeding on leftover meat”.
Speaking to ThePrint, an Animal Welfare Board of India official confirmed that they had received the Sirohi NGO’s complaint.
“We will be issuing a letter on the matter to the district collector, municipal commissioner, and director animal husbandry. Use of tongs is prohibited,” the official said, asking not to be named.
Meanwhile, following an inquiry, headed by zila parishad CEO T. Shubhmangala, the district administration held that the principal medical officer of the hospital was among those responsible for the child’s death and recommended he should be removed, reported the Times of India.
A nursing officer has already been suspended, and a ward boy and guard have been terminated, said the TOI report, adding that district collector Bhanwar Lal has also sent a notice to the doctor who was on duty on the night of the infant’s death.
Meanwhile, animal activists are now accusing the district administration and municipal corporation of sanctioning unlawful mistreatment of the area’s stray dogs.
Also read: Delhi court orders police station to file FIR against cop for beating street dog last year
‘Bones were broken, puppies died’
Chandni Khandelwal, a member of People for Street Dogs, told ThePrint that while most news reports say 14-15 dogs were picked up, the number was closer to 40-50.
“The videos surfacing on social media show only a few areas, but in reality 40-50 dogs were mistreated. The dogs have suffered severe injuries, some had their bones broken and puppies died as they were quite fragile. A large number of municipal staff was behind this process,” she alleged.
According to a 2016 Supreme Court order, concerned authorities of all states should sterilise and vaccinate street dogs, but these procedures should remain within the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animal Birth Control Rules.
Further, under sections 428 and 429 of the Indian Penal Code, it is illegal to maim or injure any animal.
Khandelwal claimed that on 28 February, the morning after the baby’s death, a meeting was held at the collectorate office, comprising collector Bhanwar Lal, the joint-director of Animal Husbandry department Jagdish Barbad, and Sirohi Nagar Parishad (city council) executive officer Anil Jhingonia. She alleged that the officials decided to round up and dump the stray dogs during this meeting.
Khandelwal added that once she saw the social media videos purporting to show the mistreatment of the dogs, she reached out to Jhingonia and other officials to apprise them of the rules against using tongs and to seek information about the animals’ whereabouts, but did not get a response.
“I told them we can take care of the dogs by adopting them but they ignored,” she said.
“I will approach Kotwali police station to file an FIR as there is no information about the location of those dogs. Some locals told us that the dogs have been killed and thrown in Bari Ghata, a forest area near Sirohi. Half of those animals were already bleeding and injured. I had told them if the authorities will turn to cruelty, they will be answerable to the court,” she added.
When asked about the whereabouts of the dogs, Jhingonia said he did not have any information as the animals had been taken away by the municipal body.
ThePrint also contacted zila parishad CEO T. Shubhmangala and district collector Bhanwar Lal for a comment on the situation, but did not receive a response at the time of publishing this report.
‘There was no need for this brutality’
Khandelwal emphasised the need to enforce humane ways of keeping stray dog populations in check. On dangers posed by stray dogs, she blamed hunger.
“Unfortunately, in this area we have a very small number of feeders because of which these dogs roam around looking for food. It’s their empty stomach that makes them reach this stage,” she lamented.
She stressed that dogs are “innocent” and should not be subjected to brute force.
“These tongs should be handed over. The dogs do not understand why they are being punished. They need a friendly environment instead of such brutality,” Khandelwal said.
She fears now that the strays who were dumped are now in danger of being attacked by wild animals.
“None of the dogs might be alive. There was no need for such brutality against all the dogs in the community. This is the 21st century, we say that India is reaching heights in the list of developing countries, but is this the development we are looking for? It’s a very cruel thing which has happened,” she said.