The head of a stray dog eradication committee has given an undertaking to the Ernakulam police tendering an “unconditional” apology for statements that advocated the killing of stray dogs.
Over the last few weeks, the Theruvu Naaya Unmoolana Sangham had put advertisements in the media announcing rewards ranging between Rs 200-500 to people who killed stray dogs.
On Wednesday, following a complaint by a government employee to the Ernakulam Rural Police, Jose Mavely, the chairperson of the Sangham, gave an undertaking to the police stating that he would cease to urge people to kill stray dogs.
In the undertaking Mavely said:
I, Jose Mavely, accept unconditionally that my statements and actions have led to the killing of dogs and misuse of poisonous substances which could be hazardous to public health and grossly against the law and the ongoing government Animal Birth Control Program. My statements have misled people into believing that killing of dogs is acceptable in law.
— Jose Mavely, Chairperson of the Sangham
“Unconditional” Apology
Speaking to The News Minute, Mavely claimed that he had given the undertaking after the police threatened to book him under non-bailable sections.
He said that the government employee who filed the complaint had told him that she filed a case because the Sangham was promoting the killing of stray dogs through advertisements. She also told him that killing of animals in this manner was against the government’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, he said.
Mavely said that his actions were aimed at human safety.
My aim was killing dogs who were biting humans. We have not killed any dogs using poisonous substances. I had made those statements regarding dog culling after listening to Justice JB Koshy (Chairperson of Kerala Human Rights Commission) who said that dogs can be killed for human safety.
— Jose Mavely, Chairperson of the Sangham
These developments have occurred in the backdrop of the arrest of the Sangham’s president, ON Joy. The Times of India reported last week that the Animal Welfare Board of India had approached the Ernakulam district police seeking preventive arrests of the leaders of the Sangham who had threatened to kill over 100 stray dogs on Gandhi Jayanti.
The petition stated, “[…] a letter by the principal secretary (local self-government), government of Kerala dated September 28 has clearly stated that killing of dogs will impede the ABC programme. This is a violation of the PCA (Prevention Cruelty to Animals) Act and the IPC, according to the TOI report.
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