A viral social media video depicts a dog tethered to a car being pulled on the road by the driver in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The driver has been recognised as a well-known plastic surgeon at a government hospital in Rajasthan.
The video shows the doctor driving the car while the dog struggles to keep up with the vehicle’s speed. While Galwa was driving, some commuters captured his stunt and also rescued the dog after his vehicle had stopped.
They unchained the dog and informed the city’s Dog Home Foundation about the incident. The locals also arranged an ambulance for the injured dog.
Police said that the doctor has been booked for allegedly tying a stray dog to his car and dragging it along the road. According to reports, the stray dog lived near the doctor’s house and he was trying to remove it.
The dog suffered a fracture on one leg and injuries on the other. It also sustained bruises on the neck, a caretaker at Dog Home Foundation said on Sunday.
Shastri Nagar SHO Jogendra Singh said a case has been registered against Dr Rajneesh Galwa under Section 428 (mischief by killing or maiming animal) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 11 (treating animals cruelly) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals act.
Meanwhile, a show cause notice has been issued to Galwa by the SN Medical College seeking his reply within 24 hours, Dr Dilip Kachawaha, Principal and Controller of the hospital said.
The caretaker of the shelter home alleged that police initially were reluctant to cooperate. “Police unnecessarily took the ambulance to the police station and kept it there for over an hour despite our request to release it so that the injured dog is treated. The police acted under the influence of the doctor and an FIR was lodged only after two hours,” he alleged.
While the majority of social media users urged for urgent action, others praised the bold act.
A social media user wrote, ” Rajneesh Gwala a Doctor? He breached his hippocratic oath!”
Another user tweeted in Hindi, “How can a doctor be so merciless, shameful.”