Dog killed, owner injured: SC tells Mansa man to surrender

NEW DELHI: A man booked for allegedly shooting a pet dog dead and injuring the owner was not granted protection from arrest by the Supreme Court on Thursday.

“You had fired gunshots to scare the dog? You are saying that the incident is of a dog barking and you fired at the dog,” a bench of Justice AM Sapre and Justice SK Kaul told the counsel of the accused – Pratibh Sharma from Punjab - while asking him to surrender.

They rubbished his argument that bullets were fired at the dog because it was “furious” and attacking him.

“Three shots were fired towards the complainant (dog’s owner). He had sustained injuries. The dog had died. There is no question of anticipatory bail. You surrender first,” the bench said, questioning why Sharma was carrying his gun.

The petitioner had moved the SC against the Punjab and Haryana High Court order dismissing his anticipatory bail. Sharma is facing charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.

A case was lodged against him at the Budhlada police station in Mansa district in December 2016 after the dog’s owner filed a complaint against him.

As per the complainant he was shot at after he protested against his pet’s death. The dog, he said, barked after Sharma had fired in the air.

JUDGES RUBBISH ARGUMENT OF THE ACCUSED THAT BULLETS WERE FIRED AT THE DOG BECAUSE IT WAS ‘FURIOUS’ AND ATTACKED HIM