Navi Mumbai: 65-year-old man held for raping dog at Nerul railway station

NAVI MUMBAI: A 65-year-old man identified as

Mahendra D Pawar

was arrested on Sunday for sexually abusing a female dog at the

Nerul railway station complex

. Animal rights activists of People for Animals (PFA Mumbai, Unit-2) had been inquiring into this serious matter for over a week after the issue came to light through a

CCTV footage

at the station complex.


This is the second animal abuse case since the Powai based female dog, Noorie, was raped at the

Galleria mall

and an 11-inch rod was recovered from her genital. The accused involved in the Noorie case was also arrested on Sunday by Powai police.

Talking about the Nerul case, PFA activist Vijay Rangare told TOI: "Around a week ago, a late night CCTV footage showing a man sexually abusing a female dog on the west-side of the Nerul station complex was sent to our PFA Mumbai Unit-2. My colleague

Aditya Patil

and I went to the spot and starting inquiring with the locals in order to find out as to who could have committed this heinous animal cruelty. We soon zeroed down on the suspect, who is a daily wage worker and sleeps inside the station complex where the shops and eateries are located.''

Rangare further stated: "The suspect (Mahendra Pawar) initially could not be physically located or traced because whenever we or the local police visited the station complex, he was not present at the site. However, around noon on Sunday, I received a call from another local resident informing that Pawar was spotted at the station. So, our PFA team and the Nerul police then rushed there and successfully arrested him.''

FIR was filed against the 65-year-old man under the IPC section 377, and section 11(1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Police sub-inspector Harshal Babar of Nerul police is further investigating this matter.

"We have also submitted all the electronic evidence, such as the CCTV footage, and the statements of the local people to the police in order to make it a watertight case and ensure that this man is jailed. During our week-long investigation we learned that the accused would often loiter around the station complex at night, drink alcohol, and then sexually abuse the female dog who was friendly and meek,'' said Rangare.

He added that the victim dog will be taken to the Parel based animal hospital for a medical check-up and treatment if required.

With regards to the Powai dog, Noorie, case, activist Vijay Kishore Mohanani of Bombay Animal Rights, said: "We thank the Powai police and the young local animal feeder, Devi Seth, who had first taken the dog to the animal centre of World For All. The dog was bleeding, and the surgery revealed that a big rod had been inserted into her body. Such culprits are a grave threat to our society.''