Youth in Uttar Pradesh's Buduan booked for drowning rat

A youth here has been booked for throwing a rat in a drain after tying a stone to its tail, police said on Tuesday.

Manoj Kumar was booked on Monday under Section 429 (slaughtering an animal) of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, police said.

Though he was let out on bail the same day, the forensic report on the incident is awaited, which will lay the ground for further action, police said.

The matter was reported to police on Friday by animal activist Vikendra Sharma, who entered the ditch to save the rodent, which died after some time.

Deputy SP (City) Alok Mishra had earlier said that on the basis of the complaint, the dead rat was sent to a veterinary hospital in Buduan for a forensic exam, and the accused was summoned to the police station.

However, after the staff there refused to conduct the examination, the rat was sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly, he said.

Mishra had then said that since rats do not come under the category of 'animals', the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act does not apply in the case.

However, after District Veterinary Officer Dr AK Jadaun described the rat as an animal, a case was registered against Manoj on Monday, SHO Kotwali Harpal Singh Balyan said.

Now it is up to the court to decide whether the case stands or not, Jadaun said.