Man arrested in Mumbai for sexually assaulting dog with wooden rod

A female dog was found bleeding from its genitals near a Galleria Mall in Mumbai, India. Local resident Devi Sheth made the gruesome discovery while feeding the stray dogs in the area on Thursday, October 22. The dog, locally known as Noorie, was taken to an animal care centre for medical attention. The veterinarian discovered that the dog had a wooden rod inside its genitals. The insertion of the foreign object left it with devastating internal injuries. A police complaint was filed on Friday, October 23. On Monday, the police arrested a suspect named Sambhunath Pradhan based on closed-circuit television footage. The animal continues to recover from catastrophic injuries.

Sheth and other residents of Mumbai's Powai area feed the stray dogs near their home. Last week, she spotted one of the local dogs in immense pain near the stairs of the Galleria shopping mall. She became alarmed when she noticed that the nine-year-old dog was bleeding from its genitals. With the help of animal welfare group Bombay Animal Rights (BAR), the woman was able to take the dog to a veterinarian.

Upon examination, it was discovered that an 11-inch long wooden rod had been inserted into the dog's genital. Noorie was left with massive internal injuries. Emergency surgery was performed on the dog to remove the foreign object. Following the surgery, the dog had been left fighting for its life due to the extent of the damage caused.

The BAR filed a First Information Report (FIR) with the Mumbai police. The police reviewed surveillance footage of the mall, the Mid-day reported. They identified 36-year-old Pradhan as the accused. In the video, the accused can be seen assaulting the trusting dog.

Pradhan, who had been working as a sweeper at one of the shops in the mall, had assaulted Noorie on October 18, the Times of India reported. Having sexually assaulted the animal, the man left her to die. After his arrest, he reportedly confessed to the offence and said that he regretted harming the dog. The accused appeared in front of Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate Court yesterday. He has been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 377 (unnatural sex) and 429 (mischief by killing or maiming an animal).