Nearly 20 cats have been found dead with severe injuries in the Panjrapole area of Chembur, raising serious concerns over animal cruelty in the neighbourhood. The RCF Police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons and launched an investigation to determine who is responsible.
The case came to light after local animal caregiver Rubeena Pathan reported a series of disturbing discoveries in the area. According to the complaint, Pathan found mutilated cat bodies in August. On September 4, she reportedly discovered six more dead cats, some with extensive injuries and visible internal organs.
The following morning, on September 5, Pathan found another dead cat along with a kitten in a severely distressed condition. Following the repeated incidents, she approached the police on September 9, after which an FIR was registered at RCF Police Station.
The police have booked the unidentified accused under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with Sections 11(1)(a) and 11(1)(l) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Section 325 covers offences involving the killing, poisoning, maiming or rendering of an animal useless and carries a punishment of up to five years in prison, a fine, or both.
Police officials are examining CCTV footage from the surrounding area in an effort to identify potential suspects and establish what happened to the animals.
PETA India, which assisted Pathan in approaching the police, has announced a reward of up to INR 50,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the killings. The organisation has also urged members of the public to report suspected cases of animal cruelty to law enforcement authorities.
PETA India Cruelty Response Officer Ishani Rathee said reporting animal abuse to the police is important and noted that research has found links between cruelty towards animals and other forms of offending.
The organisation also praised RCF Senior Police Inspector Dattatray Patil for directing the registration of the FIR and taking action in the case.
People with information about the incident can share it confidentially with PETA India at info@petaindia.org.
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