[Acid Attack on Dog] “Life Is As Dear To a Mute Creature, As It Is To Human”: Delhi Court While Sentencing Accused

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A Delhi court, emphasizing that animal life is as precious as human life, sentenced the accused in an acid attack on a dog. The court’s decision highlighted the need for strict punishment to deter cruelty against animals.

New Delhi: A man has been sentenced to one year of imprisonment by Delhi’s Tis Hazari Court for throwing acid on a dog, leading to the loss of one of the dog’s eyes.

The court described the act as bone-chilling and one that shakes the court’s conscience. The incident occurred in 2020, with an FIR filed at Paharpur Ganj Police Station.

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While delivering the sentence, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Richa Sharma stated,

“The convict has committed an offence in a manner that shakes not only the conscience of this court but is bone-chilling as well.”

She further emphasized,

“The act of throwing some corrosive/burning substance, which resulted in the loss of one eye of the dog, is serious and grave. Letting off such a person with less punishment and granting any leniency to the convict will convey an adverse message to society.”

The court highlighted the importance of compassion towards animals, stating,

“Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to any human. A human being is expected to remember that his actions towards animals reflect humanity. It is our responsibility to be compassionate and kind to animals.”

The court also cited Mahatma Gandhi, saying,

“To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being. I should be unwilling to take the life of a lamb for the sake of the human body. I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.”

Additionally, the court referred to the German philosopher Emmanuel Kant, who said,

“He who is cruel to animals becomes hard in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of man by his treatment of animals.”

The court has levied a fine of Rs 10,000 under Section 429 of the IPC and Rs. 50 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The judgment stated that failure to pay the fine would result in the convict undergoing an additional three months of simple imprisonment. On March 14, 2024, Mahendra Singh was found guilty of violating Section 429 of the IPC and Section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

The public prosecutor advocated for the maximum penalty, arguing that the nature of the crime demonstrated extreme cruelty towards living beings, including animals, and thus merited no leniency. In contrast, the defense attorney highlighted that the convict is a 70-year-old senior citizen with a 65-year-old dependent wife.

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Additionally, the convict’s son, who had been in poor health following an accident a decade ago, along with his daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, also depended on him.

The defence counsel argued,

“The convict works as a hawker after suffering significant losses during the COVID lockdown, which led to the collapse of his business. Since then, with his son’s help, he has been running a hawker stall to make ends meet,”

This case highlights the judiciary’s role in balancing justice with compassion, reflecting on broader societal values regarding the treatment of all sentient beings.

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