Theni
Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam has sought action against Forest Guard Chelladurai who was responsible for poisoning pet dogs reared by people living at Koraiyoothu in Meghamalai panchayat.
Its district president S.K. Pandian submitted a petition to the Collector, K.V. Muralidharan stating that the dogs were killed with meat laced with poison.
Stating that K. Andi Thevar of Koraiyoothu had watched the crime, the petition said that the local people had filed a complaint with the Mayiladumparai police. The police issued a community service register receipt for the complaint and took photographs at the site.
However, the petition alleged that senior forest officials pacified the villagers and persuaded them to withdraw the complaint with a promise that they would be allowed to graze their animals in the forest.
The district secretary T. Kannan said that the forest guard was also responsible for the killing of some more dogs in the past. The dogs were killed to force 25,000 families vacate from the forest where they had been living for more than three generations.
Stating that some other forest officials were also involved in the killing dogs, the petition urged the Collector to take action against the accused under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
