Cruelty case against animal activist for cat's death

In an inhuman gesture, a person from Thane district in Maharashtra has been booked for killing a pet cat of another person. No arrest has been made so far, the police said.

Thane (Maharashtra): A person working for the welfare of animals has been booked on charges of causing the death of a cat kept under his care by the feline owner in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Thursday.

The complainant, Bhavin Acharya (30), left his cat under the care of Vikrant Mane and gave him Rs 500 for the pet's food when he went for a vacation on February 29.

However, when he returned on Wednesday and called up Mane, the latter told him he would come with the cat in 10 minutes, but did not do so, a police spokesperson said.

Acharya then went to Mane's house at Vayle Nagar in Kalyan township to enquire and the accused then told him that the cat got lost.

Later, Acharya found a foul-smelling gunny bag lying behind a building in Vayle Nagar. When he opened the bag, he found the carcass of his cat in it, the police said.

He then lodged a police complaint against Mane under Indian Penal Code sections 429 (mischief by killing, poisoning, maiming or rendering useless an animal), and provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

No arrest has been made so far, the police said, adding that an investigation was on into the incident.

PTI