In a case that has sparked widespread outrage, 32-year-old Shajir, a truck driver from Muthukulam-Paramba near Cherpulassery, was arrested for brutally killing a cat and posting the shocking act on his WhatsApp status.
A local animal rescue volunteer filed a complaint after the disturbing visuals went viral—showing Shajir luring the cat into his vehicle using food, killing it, and then smashing its remains, including the severed head, using a jack lever. The police confirmed the video was recent and authentic following a preliminary investigation.
Shajir was booked under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, along with relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and taken into custody. He was later released on bail. Investigations are ongoing into whether the act was premeditated or shared with others.
This case is the latest in a troubling pattern of animal cruelty incidents across Kerala. Earlier this year, two men in Kozhikode were arrested for beating a stray dog to death with iron rods. In another incident in Malappuram, a student was taken into custody for throwing a puppy off a terrace, while in Alappuzha, a man was arrested for poisoning street dogs. Even local bodies in Munnar face scrutiny for allegedly culling and burying hundreds of stray dogs.
Animal welfare organizations are demanding that authorities take stronger preventive action and ensure swift prosecution in such cases.
