Social media help identify man who flung dog off roof; hunt still on

Mangalore Today News Network

Chennai, Jul 05, 2016: A video of a man throwing a dog off a five-storey building in Chennai recently surfaced on the Internet, drawing sharp criticism from both animal lovers and activists, many of whom offered cash rewards to find the culprit.

The man in the clip, identified as Gautman Sudarshan, a medical student at Kundrathur in Kancheepuram district, nonchalantly looks into the camera before the video switches to a slow-motion shot of the helpless animal being flung off the roof and falling to the ground with a thud. The dog did not survive the impact.

“We got information from different students who recognized the student from the video that went viral. It was because of this information that we could lead the police to the right college,” said Shravan Krishnan, an animal welfare activist who led the police to the college.

The incident took place about two weeks ago, students said.

However, Sudarshan and his classmate, Ashish Paul, who allegedly recorded the video, went missing from the college premises. Police have reportedly contacted the parents of the two students and urged them to ask their children to surrender immediately.

The widely shared video drew criticism from all quarters, with several viewers demanding justice from animal rights activists and offering cash rewards to find the culprits. A number of TV channels too showed the horrific video.

“Humane Society International/India is offering a reward of Rs 100,000 to anyone who is willing to volunteer valid information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for this evil,” Sally Kannan, outreach consultant at Humane Society International, wrote on Facebook.

A case under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act has been filed against the duo.