Brutal Killing of Community Dog in Mumbai

A community dog was brutally assaulted, trapped under a drum, denied medical help and thrown into a drain while critically injured in Mumbai’s Jogeshwari West. An FIR has been registered, eyewitnesses have identified the assailants and a police investigation is underway.

Mumbai, January 26: In a chilling incident that exposes the escalating brutality against community animals in India’s cities, a community dog was beaten, confined under a drum, denied medical help and finally thrown into a drain while still alive in Jogeshwari West, Mumbai, on Sunday.

An FIR (No. 0135/2026) has been registered at Oshiwara Police Station under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, following the dog’s death.

What distinguishes this case is not only the brutality but the sequence of deliberate acts that led to the animal’s death.

THE CHRONOLOGY OF CRUELTY

According to the complainant’s statement recorded by the police, the incident unfolded on January 25, 2026, when Advocate Rhea Naushad Shaikh, a resident of Vaishali Nagar, Jogeshwari West, received an emergency call from the Ajit Glass Garden area reporting a dog in extreme distress.

On reaching the spot, she found one dog in visible pain. At that moment, a local girl informed her that another dog had been brutally beaten and trapped under a plastic drum nearby.

Within minutes, Advocate Shaikh discovered the second dog lying in a semi-conscious condition, soaked with water, unable to stand or move. She immediately removed the drum and shifted the animal to a shaded area. The dog’s condition clearly indicated severe internal injuries consistent with assault.

Eyewitnesses later confirmed that the dog had been repeatedly beaten with sticks. When Advocate Shaikh questioned the people present in the area, she was aggressively shouted at and told to leave, with locals refusing to cooperate.

Despite attempts to feed the dog and provide immediate relief, the animal cried continuously in pain and could barely swallow food. Realising the urgency, she left briefly to arrange an ambulance for emergency medical treatment, clearly informing those present that help was on the way.

THROWN AWAY TO DIE

Within that short window, the dog was forcibly thrown into a drain.

When Advocate Shaikh called to check on the dog’s condition, a man identified as Shankar informed her that the dog had been “thrown away.” On returning to the site, locals admitted that the dog had been dumped into the drain approximately ten minutes earlier.

The dog was found floating in the drain, wrapped in a white cloth. Despite being pulled out immediately with public assistance, the dog was already dead. A veterinary record later confirmed the animal was “brought dead” to the clinic.

ANIMAL WELFARE RESPONSE AND FIR

Following the incident, Advocate Rhea Naushad Shaikh informed her animal welfare group based in Goregaon West and shared real-time updates regarding the incident. Ankita Kamble, associated with the group, immediately contacted her and informed her that Sameer Khan would reach the spot to assist. Sameer Khan arrived shortly thereafter. Within the next ten minutes, Preeti Kubal also reached the incident location.

All three assisted at the site and subsequently accompanied Advocate Shaikh to Oshiwara Police Station, where an FIR was registered against the persons who assaulted the dog.

Importantly, a woman who had been feeding and caring for the dog since its early days recorded her statement as an eye-witness, clearly identifying the individuals responsible for the assault.

The dog’s body has since been sent to SPCA Parel for post-mortem examination, which is currently underway. Police officials confirmed that further investigation is in progress.

NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT

Animal rights lawyers and activists say the case reflects a nationwide rise in hate-driven violence against community dogs, despite repeated Supreme Court and High Court rulings affirming their protection under law.

“What happened here is not fear or provocation,” said a senior animal welfare advocate. “It is a sequence of intentional acts – assault, confinement, abandonment and disposal – meant to ensure death.”

A TEST FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

Legal experts note that throwing a critically injured animal into a drain may amount to aggravated cruelty and destruction of evidence, potentially attracting stricter charges following post-mortem findings.

As public outrage grows, this case has become a test of whether the law will act decisively or allow yet another act of extreme cruelty to fade into statistics. For now, the silence of the drain in Jogeshwari speaks louder than words.