Spot where the accused beat up the dog; (inset) Arjun Mullick

KOLKATA: A man in his 30s was arrested on Saturday for allegedly assaulting a four-year-old dog with stones, bricks and bamboo shafts near Nimtala burning ghat last Wednesday. Arjun Mullick and his associates , who are on the run, also threw the injured dog — bloodied and unconscious — in a dumpyard on Strand Bank Road. The men had allegedly also locked the dog’s six-month-old puppy in a shanty when it tried to protect her. Mullick was arrested under Section 429 (maiming or killing animals) of IPC. He was produced in a city court on Sunday and was subsequently released on bail.

KMC officials, who rescued the dog, said the animal is still critical and has suffered multiple internal haemorrhages with one of its eyes popping out of the socket.

Based on a complaint by a local animal lover, and accompanied by a KMC official, officers of North Port police station drafted an FIR and on Saturday arrested Mullick from Strand Bank Road amid protests from the locals.

The dog had allegedly chased a few local residents on Wednesday. Some even alleged that it had bitten a local youth, which fuelled the residents’ anger and they started beating up the dog. “When we found the dog, it looked dead, bleeding profusely from the head and eyes. One of the eyes had even popped out of the socket. I don’t know if the dog had bitten someone, but even if it had done so, how can people attempt to kill it? Should we kill a man if he bites or assaults another person?” asked Ayushi Dey, the animal lover who lodged the complaint.

A KMC official said that when they reached the spot to rescue the animal, it was not moving and most of its injuries were on the head. “We rescued the animal and brought it to our animal hospital at Dhapa. It underwent a surgery and even after a course of treatment, the animal is still critical because of the internal haemorrhages,” said Rajib Ghosh, the co-ordinator (public safety wing) of the health department.

Cops said they had tried to arrest Mullick immediately after the complaint was lodged on Wednesday, but the area was so tense at that time and so many people protested against even interrogating him that the police had to retreat. “However, over two days, we investigated the case and found some witnesses who had seen Mullick and some others beat up the dog. We arrested Mullick based on the complaint and some of the evidence we gathered,” said an officer.

TOI visited the Strand Bank Road neighbourhood on Sunday where people identified Mullick as a tea vendor and said he and some others had beaten up the dog after it had bitten several people. “We had informed the local police station about the dog, but they did nothing. We had no other option but to beat it up. It was an act of self-defence and we don’t think Mullick or others did anything wrong,” said a local.

Animal lovers and caregivers felt that incidents of cruelty against animals often go unreported and general people, as well as cops, often don’t know whom to ask to take proper care and treat injured animals. “If anyone witnesses an instance of cruelty against animals, they should first try to stop the assault and then immediately ask the local police station to intervene. People can also lodge a written complaint before Calcutta Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, an autonomous body under state animal welfare board at their Bowbazar office. In case they find the animal injured and needing immediate medical attention, they can call the KMC public safety wing for help,” said Ghosh.

