A Model Town-based businessman in the Capital is running from pillar to the post to regain the custody of six puppies of foreign breed that he had bought legally. Activists of NGO Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre had lodged a complaint with the Model Town police station and had taken away the canines, which are now allegedly missing.
The businessman moved a city court and claimed that he had bought all the six puppies — three pugs and three bulldogs — legally and was looking after them. The court then asked the NGO to produce all the puppies in the court, but the NGO failed to do so. The petitioner was later informed that two of the puppies had fallen ill and later died, while two others were sent to Nagaland. This infuriated the court which asked the local police to register a case against the NGO and trace the puppies.
The court has also directed the Delhi Police to investigate the matter and submitted a report. The court took the Investigating Officer (IO) to task for failing to identify the breed of the puppies forcing the owner to part with the pups. The court also passed strictures against the SI and directed the police to probe his role.
Police said the complainant, Amarpreet Singh, a resident of Sardar Colony in Model Town, had bought six puppies for over Rs six lakhs. locals were miffed and they informed the activists of Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre, who in turn informed the local police that Singh had brought 6 puppies illegally and was treating the pets cruelly.
"Acting on the complaint, on June 18 last year Gourav Gupta, a member of People for Animal (PFA), along with the members Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre, located in Raja Garden, and some police personnel, conducted a raid on Amarpreet Singh's house and took away the six puppies," a senior police officer said.
Police had later handed over the custody of the puppies to the NGO and filed a case under Section 78/79 of the Delhi Police Act against the complainant at Model Town police station of North West Delhi. However, the complainant claimed that he was not present at home when they barged inside his home. "After the incident, we showed all the evidences and legal papers that proved that we had bought the 6 puppies legally and were taking good care. We were in for a shock when we went to the NGO to take back the custody of the pets they first told us that they were not well. later, they told us that two of the puppies had fallen ill and died and two others were sent to Nagaland," said the complainant in the First Information Report (FIR).
Singh claimed that the NGO started misleading him and even after court notices, they did not produce the puppies before the court. After failing to get the custody of his puppies, the victim approached the court and following the court order, a case under Section 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the NGO and investigating officer at Model Town police station.