Masked men opened fire on about 20 stray dogs and shot them dead during the wee hours of February 16 in Ponnakal village in Addakal mandal of Mahabubnagar. Officials said that the incident was reported in the village located about two kilometres from the national highway. The individuals involved in the shooting, who reportedly used country-made pistols, are yet to be identified.
The Superintendent of Mahabubnagar police, K. Narasimha said that as per the preliminary enquiry a gang of four is suspected to have been involved in the shooting. “We have taken a man into custody for questioning. Further probe is underway to identify the shooters,” he said.
The area locals woke up alarmed with the gunshots going off at the odd hour and noticed the bodies of dogs sprawled across the village with bullet wounds. “While some were shot dead, other dogs with injuries left a bloody trail before succumbing in the nearby locality,” said another official.
Sub-Inspector of Addakal Police, G. Vijay Kumar said that the nearby CCTV cameras are being checked for clues. “Preliminary probe revealed that country-made firearms were used in the incident. We have booked a case and started a probe,” he said.
