Mumbai: Businessman's Son Ruthlessly Runs Car Over Stray Dog, Fatally Injures It In Antop Hill; FIR Registered (VIDEO)

 Mumbai: The primary suspect in the October 17 incident that led to the fatal injury of a dog named Sheru outside Samar Heights in Antop Hill, Wadala, has been identified as Nilesh Jain, according to police sources. Jain, reportedly aged between 26 and 30, is the son of a wealthy businessman and resides just minutes from the scene.

Although the accused's identity is widely known among police officers and residents of Samar Heights, the FIR registered at Antop Hill police station continues to list him as "unknown."

TW: The visuals in the video may be disturbing for some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

#WATCH | Caught On Camera: Youth Runs Over Stray Dog In Antop Hill, Fatally Injuring Him

Credit: Aishwarya Iyer (@aishooaaram)#Mumbai #MumbaiNews pic.twitter.com/kHfCHr7suY

— Free Press Journal (@fpjindia) November 1, 2024

On the day of the incident, Jain and five friends, all residents of Samar Heights, were allegedly “smoking up”—consuming illegal substances like marijuana—in the building’s parking lot. “The incident occurred in the evening,” a police officer stated. “According to eyewitnesses, one of the boys’ fathers saw them loitering and instructed them to disperse immediately. They may have panicked, given their possession of narcotic substances, prompting Jain to start his car hastily to leave the premises. In his rush, he reportedly struck the building’s lift and one of the pillars before reaching the main exit.”

Sheru, the dog, was reportedly sleeping near the gate at the time. “The accused then ran over the dog with his car, dragging Sheru until the dog managed to free itself from under the wheels,” the officer added.

Ramsuresh Yadav, the building’s security guard, witnessed the entire incident. He recounted that the dog cried out in pain as the accused continued to drive without stopping, dragging the dog along. CCTV footage from the building's gate reportedly shows the dog screeching in pain, and after it was released from under the vehicle, it collapsed on the road, unable to stand. The following day, Yadav informed society treasurer Vivek Bhattacharge, who is also the complainant in the FIR. Bhattacharge and other residents rushed the dog to a hospital in Parel, where it was treated from October 18 to 24. Despite doctors' efforts, Sheru succumbed to his injuries due to a crushed spine and other fatal wounds. Residents covered Sheru’s Rs. 45,000 medical expenses and performed his final rites on Thursday after the police registered an FIR against Jain for the dog’s death.

Though the FIR has been registered, police are unlikely to arrest Jain and are continuing their investigation based on eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage. Police sources indicated that a legal notice will be issued to Jain, requiring his cooperation in the case. Once statements from the accused and eyewitnesses are recorded, the police will proceed with drafting a chargesheet to be submitted to the court.

Interestingly, sources revealed that the case has been transferred three times, leading to frequent changes in the investigating officer. Although the incident occurred on October 17 and came to light on October 18, the police initially declined to register an FIR. When residents and complainants from Samar Heights approached an IPS officer, she cited a 2023 Bombay High Court judgment stating that "dogs and cats are not humans, hence hit-and-run sections cannot apply to non-humans." However, after legal intervention by Roshan Pathak, a member of the NGO PAL, who highlighted the “intent” behind Sheru's case, the police agreed to press charges against the accused, whose father is reportedly in the gold business.