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Nearly 100 stray dogs were allegedly poisoned to death in Yacharam village on the outskirts of Hyderabad, prompting police to register a case against a village sarpanch and two other local representatives, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred on January 19 and is the latest in a series of mass stray dog killings reported across Telangana, where close to 500 canines have allegedly been killed in multiple districts since January 6.

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An animal welfare activist associated with the Stray Animal Foundation of India lodged a complaint with the Yacharam Police Station, alleging that the dogs were injected with poisonous substances.

Case registered under animal cruelty laws

Based on the complaint, police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act against the sarpanch, secretary, and a ward member of the Yacharam gram panchayat.

While the complainant claimed that around 100 dogs were killed, preliminary verification with villagers suggested that about 50 carcasses could be confirmed so far. Police said further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact number.

Officials added that efforts are on to locate the remaining carcasses as part of the probe.

Earlier mass killings across Telangana

The Yacharam incident follows similar cases reported from other parts of Telangana. In Hanamkonda district, police recently booked nine persons, including two women sarpanches and their husbands, in connection with the alleged killing of around 300 stray dogs in Shayampet and Arepally villages.

In another case, nearly 200 stray dogs were allegedly killed in Kamareddy district, leading to the registration of cases against six persons, including five village sarpanches.

Police suspect that some elected representatives allegedly orchestrated the killings to fulfil promises made to villagers ahead of the gram panchayat elections held in December last year, citing public complaints about the stray dog menace.

(With Agency inputs)