On July 8, a barbaric video where a monkey and her newborn child were brutally manhandled by a monkey catcher at National Media Centre (a posh colony of Gurugram) emerged on social media.

A resident of the colony told ScoopWhoop News that the catcher was hired by the locality’s committee to get rid of monkeys, who were a nuisance to them. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzMUXAacrdA

Scoopwhoop News contacted Mamta Kumar, General Secretary of the society’s committee who firmly declined to have any idea about the monkey catcher in the video.

“We have no idea about the catchers in the video. We admit that the society has been facing troubles because of monkeys, but we have contacted the municipal department for this issue,” she said.

b’Representational Image| Source: Reuters’

What does the law state?

  • As per IPC sections 428 and 429, killing or maiming any animal, including stray animals is a punishable offence. 
  • Under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, beating, torturing or causing unnecessary pain or suffering to any animal is considered as an offence.

But, this is not the first case

Residents have alleged that cruel and inhuman behaviour towards animals (stray dogs) by unauthorised catchers have been noticed many times in past.

“Since these are unofficial catchers so nobody has any idea what happens to the dogs after they are taken away from the colony. We don’t know whether these animals are killed or sold. Earlier, stray dogs have also been seen mishandled in the same way,” another resident told ScoopWhoop News.

Featured image source: Youtube Grab