LUCKNOW: A man allegedly killed a stray dog in a brutal manner in Lucknow’s Nigohan area, prompting outrage among local residents and dog lovers after a video of the incident surfaced on social media, police said on Wednesday.A purported video of the incident, which has gone viral, shows a man pinning down the dog’s body with his foot while using a knife on its neck. The video also appears to show blood scattered around the spot as bystanders can be heard asking him to stop.Nigohan SHO Anuj Kumar Tiwari said police had received the complaint and were verifying the viral video and the circumstances surrounding the incident.“Appropriate legal action will be taken against the accused on the basis of facts that emerge during investigation,” the SHO said.According to separate complaints submitted by villagers and an NGO, the incident took place on Tuesday identifying the accused as Ballu, son of Gaurishankar, and a resident of Nigohan village.Residents alleged that the man first repeatedly slammed the dog to the ground and later slit its throat with a knife. They further alleged that he skinned the animal even as people nearby tried to stop him.Several villagers, including Vikas, Vivek Kumar, Sunny Kashyap, Umesh, Rohit Kashyap and Ram Kishan, submitted a written complaint at Nigohan police station demanding strict legal action against the accused under provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and other relevant sections.Charu Khare, chairperson of Aasra The Helping Hands Trust, demanded immediate registration of an FIR and strict action against the accused. She urged police to conduct a postmortem on the dog, investigate the case impartially under animal cruelty laws, and ensure justice. The NGO also offered full cooperation to investigators.
