Court acquits two brothers accused of killing stray dog in Andheri in 2014

MUMBAI: Two brothers from an Andheri (East) colony were accused in 2014 of killing a stray dog. The duo, as per witness testimonies, had tied up the animal, bundled it in a sack and dumped it in another area. Four years into the trial, an Andheri metropolitan court acquitted the duo.

The court did not believe the dog really died.

The two brothers Umesh and Vinod Makwana – both in their late thirties – were accused of killing the stray. The Andheri police registered a case against the brothers upon the complaint of city-based animal rights activist, Salim Charaniya who received the information from Deepak Salvi, a resident of the society where the two brothers lived.

The prosecution presented three eyewitnesses in the case, two of whom said they did not witness the incident. Salvi said he was walking down the stairs when he saw that the brothers had tied a rope around the dog’s neck and take it away.

However, during the cross-examination, Salvi admitted that he did not actually see the crime.

Police also informed the court that they did not find the dog’s carcass or rope used to tie it up.

Magistrate SC Pathare noted that it could not be said that the dog really died as alleged. “It is true that causing cruelty to any animals and killing the same is a serious offence. However in absence of clear, cogent and reliable evidence, criminal liability cannot be fastened to the neck of the accused,” the court held.