Day after being shot, stray dog succumbs to injuries; 1 arrested

NEWDELHI: A day after a street dog was shot in its hind leg by two fleeing motorcycle-borne robbers in northeast Delhi’s Gautampuri, the injured canine succumbed to injuries on Monday afternoon at Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre, the police said.

Police are waiting for the dog’s autopsy report to ascertain the exact cause of death. An NGO working for stray animals had been taking care of the injured dog at the hospital. The dog had given birth to four puppies three days ago. The little ones were nearby when the robbers shot at their mother. The NGO has adopted the four puppies.

Atul Kumar Thakur, DCP (northeast), said they have arrested one man and apprehended his juvenile accomplice while two more persons on a scooty, who were aiding the other two, are absconding. “We have recovered the pistol used by them. Our teams are conducting raids to nab the absconding accused and recover their motorcycle and scooter used during in the incident, as well as the robbed money,” Thakur said. He said the two were apprehended from the Seelampur area after they were identified through CCTV footage.

Two robbers wearing helmets had targeted Ravi Kumar Rathore, a collection agent, around 3.45pm, the police said. “The robbers had pointed a gun at him and asked him to hand over cash he had collected from clients. When he refused, the robbers fired on the ground to scare him,” the DCP said. After this, Rathore handed over ₹15,000, the police said.

However, as the two were getting away on their motorcycle, the street dog began chasing them. “Realising that the dog was catching up with them, the pillion rider pulled out his gun and shot the dog,” the DCP added. Hit in its leg, the dog gave up and lay on one side of the road even as her puppies gathered around her. A photo of the dog with its puppies has been widely shared on social media. The police were informed and a team was rushed.