Mumbai: A stray cat was allegedly burned alive by locals near Oshiwara police station Monday. According to sources, the feline was starved, tied to the tree branch, and burned alive by the locals. A video of the inhuman deed went viral as there were Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed nearby.
Animal lover Shahanaj Butt who feeds 80 stray dogs and cats has registered a complaint in this regard at the Oshiwara police station. She has accused unknown persons for starving the three-year-old cat and burning it to death. A First information report (FIR) has been registered at Oshiwara police station and the police is on the lookout for the culprits.
Butt used to fondly call the cat “Soha” and she said that Monday morning, some people informed her that someone had tied “Soha” to a tree and set her on fire. Shocked to the core, Butt rushed to the location, Saisiddhi Society, to see what had gone wrong.
According to Butt, there were many animal haters in the area and the society, and she suspected someone from the society itself to be the perpetrator of the crime.
She approached Oshiwara police station along with animal activist, Vimlesh Navani, and filed a FIR and sent the cat’s body for a post-mortem.
Talking to The Asian Age, Deepak Chaudhary, emergency response coordinator of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), said, “We urge anyone with any information about this crime to come forward, for their own safety. Acts of cruelty to animals indicate deep mental disturbance. Research in psychology and criminology shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals often don’t just stop there – many of them move on to hurting other animals, children, or other people. Taking cruelty to animals’ cases seriously protects everyone.”
The report of the post-mortem is expected by Thursday. Navani, who is from the animal welfare office appointed by the high court, has reported 200 such incidents. Animal lovers from Jogeshwari and Andheri who feed 150 to 200 stray animals, were also shaken by the incident.
Senior inspector Shailesh Palswar said, “We are investigating the matter. The exact criminal offence with suitable charges will be registered after the autopsy report.”
