A man was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district after a disturbing video allegedly showing him abusing a dog and forcing it to drink alcohol went viral on social media, police officials said on Tuesday.
Video triggers police action
Police identified the accused as Jitendra, also known as Ballam, a resident of Kirthal village in Baghpat district. The video, widely circulated online, purportedly shows the man subjecting a dog to cruelty and making the animal consume an intoxicating substance directly from a liquor bottle.
Following the circulation of the footage, the social media monitoring cell of the district police took cognisance of the matter and alerted the local police station.
Arrest made after inquiry
Based on preliminary verification of the video, a team from Ramala Police Station initiated an inquiry and traced the accused. He was arrested on Sunday from the Ramala police station area.
Police officials said the video content prima facie indicated cruelty towards the animal, prompting immediate legal action.
Case registered under animal cruelty law
A case has been registered against the accused under provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Officials said further legal proceedings are underway and additional sections may be invoked if required during the course of investigation.
“The act shown in the video amounts to animal cruelty. The accused has been taken into custody, and strict action will be ensured as per law,” a police officer said.
Growing concern over animal abuse videos
The incident has once again highlighted concerns over the increasing number of animal cruelty videos being shared on social media. Police officials urged the public to report such content promptly so that timely action can be taken.
Authorities also reiterated that cruelty towards animals is a punishable offence and warned that those found violating animal welfare laws will face strict consequences.