Mumbai: A video of a motorist running over a stray dog at the Worli sea face went viral on Monday, attracting widespread outrage. The Worli police have arrested the accused.
The short video, which was posted by several Twitter users, shows the accused driving a Maserati while talking on his cell phone. A stray dog is seen running towards the car and the accused runs him over and doesn't even slow down. Even as the dog is seen thrashing around in pain, the accused speeds away from the spot.
The incident, which occured at around 9.30 am on Sunday, was witnessed first hand by Prabhadevi resident Aditya Natarajan. An animal lover, Natarajan regularly visits the Worli Sea Face to feed stray dogs.
"As the car sped away, I rushed over to check the dog for injuries. At the same time, another eyewitness told me he had captured the entire incident on his cell phone camera. Several expensive cars drive by the sea face and people usually have their cameras trained on them. I requested the gentleman to send me the video," Natarajan has said in his statement.
He then rushed the dog to a local veterinary clinic, but it was shut and hence he took the dog home to care for it. He later approached the Worli police station and registered a complaint.
Meanwhile, the video was all over social media by Monday morning. The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) got involved in the case and actress Pooja Bhatt, too, tweeted to the Mumbai Police seeking strict and swift action
Using the license plate number captured in the video, the Worli police traced and apprehended the accused on Monday.
"The accused had been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code as well as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. He was arrested and later released on bail," senior police inspector Anil Koli, Worli police station said.
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