Stern hand needed to punish animal abusers: Activists

Chennai: Two days after a pregnant dog was raped and killed by a man in Hyderabad, city-based animal lovers and activists spoke of the need for more stringent measures to punish animal abusers.

In March 2011, a three-month-old calf was sexually abused by a man in Neelankarai police limits. By October that year, the accused went missing after obtaining a bail and wasn’t tried under the law since then. In another case of September 2013, a man was arrested near Tambaram Sanatorium railway station after he was found trying to rape a train-hit, injured cow.

A top official from the Government Railway Police, investigating the case, informed this correspondent that the accused, V. Muthu, had admitted to his crime and was sentenced to six months in prison in November 2013, and after the period, he was released. Animal activists were unaware of the accused being prosecuted in this case. Activists added that punishment is the only deterrent that can stop people abusing animals.

“There are many laws under for trial of the accused but the law enforcement authorities don’t take it seriously,” said Dawn Williams, general manager of Blue Cross of India.

“Section 377 of the IPC is meant to punish such criminals but there are less than 100 cases filed under this law that itself is 150 years old,” he continued.
Though abusers of animals pay a meager fine of Rs 50 and escape imprisonment, the law is more often used against consenting homosexual couples.

“Now, social media is power to us. Though law enforcement officers are lax but when a post goes viral on social media, they are pressured into taking action,” said Shravan Krishnan, founder of Hotel for Dogs. “With social media, and awareness of laws among people, more such cases should be brought to justice,” he added.