The government’s Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has lodged a fresh FIR in the recent case of poisoning of stray dogs and birds in Nizamuddin East, claiming the incident is also a case of threat to public health.

While the earlier FIR, filed by local residents at the Nizamuddin police station, was under Section 429 (causing death to animals), AWBI has appealed under other cognizable sections, which include causing public nuisance and criminal negligence through poison.

Only five of the 18 dogs that were allegedly fed food laced with poison have survived.

“This is not just a case of poisoning of dogs and cruelty to animals but also a threat to public health. Poisoned food was kept near the market and Jhoola Park. It could have been picked up by anyone — the victim could have been a child. If a cow had consumed the same thing and died, there could have been communal discord in the area,” Anjali Sharma, legal advisor for AWBI, said.

It has also emerged that several residents had raised the issue of increasing stray canine population in the area, and of dogs reportedly biting people.

In a meeting of the Residents’ Welfare Association, the issue was discussed among the residents.

The police are investigating allegations that certain local residents are behind the poisoning. Several of the dogs that died had been inoculated and sterilised by animal lovers in the area, NGO workers said. “We will be interrogating the residents tomorrow,” said a police officer said. A group of residents will also meet Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit about the matter on Wednesday.

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