Bangalore:
About 30 stray dogs were butchered by villagers in Arathi Ukkada near Pandavapura railway station in Mandya district on Sunday.
Stray dogs had become a menace in Goddess Ahalya Devi's temple, frequented by vehicle owners to ward off evil eye. "Those who had met with accidents also came to worship the deity, seeking her blessings to save them from further accidents. As a mark of respect to the deity, animal sacrifice was practiced among the villagers. Sheep, goats and chicken were often killed and offered to the Goddess," revealed Chicke Gowda, a native of the village.
However, the blood stench and raw flesh started drawing lot of canine attention, who came to devour the carcass. Recently, a resident from Bangalore was attacked in the temple by a pack of dogs when he was disposing the carcass.
The frequent menace created lot of panic. So the villagers came to a mutual agreement to destroy the canine population. On Sunday, the villagers caught the dogs and bludgeoned them to death.
Later fearing legal hassles, the villagers realised that they could have made a mistake. "There is no complaint registered by the police as of now. But we are afraid we will be unnecessarily dragged into a controversy which might lead to a legal battle. We have decided to stop further dog hunts," a native said.
The Prani Daya Sangha members from Bangalore are planning to register a case with the Pandavapura police. The villagers are also bringing pressure to the police, requesting not to proceed with any case. "We did this only to protect the devotees. We have done nothing wrong," they said.
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