A Rottweiler dog trapped inside a house in Ghazipur for 26 days has been rescued after its owner escaped from a murder charge, Uttar Pradesh Police said on Wednesday.
The murder suspect, Shankar Pandey, is wanted in connection with the murder of hotel owner, Vineet Rai, who was shot dead by three bike-riding assailants in Phulanpur-Fatehpur Sikandar area. Police said Pandey and his family fled on May 29 after the murder.
Police officers said they received information about the presence of a dog trapped inside the house from local residents who used to provide food to it.
The Rottweiler, known as Michael, was confined inside Pandey’s 2,000-square-foot home for 26 days. “The dog was walking inside the house, and whenever it barked or looked hungry, the neighbors would throw food and water to it over the gate. Thus, after its owner fled to avoid arrest, Michael’s survival depended entirely on the kindness of the neighbours,” an officer said.
A team of officials, including Sadar Tehsildar Rajiv Yadav, Sadar Kotwali Station House Officer (SHO) Pramod Kumar Singh and veterinary expert Dr Hasnain Ansari, rescued the Rottweiler from Pandey’s home in Gausabad.
“Michael lost consciousness about half an hour after he was given sedatives. After that, a team from the Animal Husbandry Department climbed the boundary wall, muzzled his dog and brought the dog out safely. He was taken to the government veterinary hospital, where he underwent a health check and arrangements were made for his feeding,” Dr Ansari said, adding that the dog would be kept in a safe place.
Pandey, the head of the Katra gang, which committed various crimes, including murder, kidnapping and looting, among others, has been on the run since the attackers, who were allegedly lying in wait, opened fire on Rai as he was leaving the hotel before fleeing the scene on May 29, a senior police officer said.
A case has been registered at Kotwali police station against four people – Kamlesh Chaudhary, Shankar Pandey, Alok Dubey and Sonu Yadav – and some unidentified persons.
Chaudhary was killed in an encounter with police on the night of June 4. Meanwhile, police announced a $100,000 reward $1 lakh each for Shankar Pandey, Alok Dubey and Sonu Yadav.
