A case of alleged animal cruelty has come to light in Morna town of Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, where a man was captured on CCTV allegedly beating a dog repeatedly with a stick.
The incident reportedly took place around 8 pm on August 19 in the Bhopа police station area. CCTV footage of the incident has since surfaced online and triggered outrage among animal lovers and local residents.
The footage purportedly shows a man repeatedly striking the dog with a stick. Following the assault, the animal can be seen in a severely injured condition.
The person seen in the CCTV footage has been identified by local residents as Kartik, son of Raghunandan. However, the identification has not been independently verified.
After the footage went viral on social media, several people expressed anger over the alleged brutality and urged police to take cognisance of the incident.
Local residents said such treatment of a stray or "voiceless" animal was unacceptable and called for action under relevant provisions dealing with animal cruelty.
Residents also pointed out that the CCTV footage appears to clearly capture the alleged assault and urged authorities to investigate the incident and take appropriate legal action if the allegations are established.
They further demanded steps to prevent similar incidents of cruelty against animals in the area.
Police action in the matter was not immediately clear. Further details are awaited regarding whether a complaint has been formally registered and whether any action has been taken against the alleged accused.
