Motihari: A disturbing case from Bihar’s Motihari district has sparked outrage after a man was accused of killing a dog and selling its meat to villagers while passing it off as rabbit, allegedly to raise money for alcohol.
The incident was reported from Garahiya village, under the Garahiya Bazar police station area of Madhuban block. According to villagers, the accused, identified as Mangru Sahni, is known locally for alcohol dependence and frequent disputes. On the day of the incident, residents said he was short of cash and devised the plan to obtain money.
Villagers alleged that Sahni caught a dog roaming in the area, killed it, cut the carcass into pieces and went door to door selling the meat, claiming it was rabbit. The meat was reportedly sold at around Rs 1,000 per kilogram. Several families bought it, particularly as cold weather had increased demand for meat, and the accused is said to have used the proceeds to buy alcohol.
Within hours of consuming the meat, villagers said multiple people fell ill, reporting symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and severe stomach pain. Children were also among those affected. Initially, families did not connect the illness to the food. Panic spread the next morning when the accused allegedly went around the village admitting that the meat he had sold was dog meat, not rabbit.
Residents said that when confronted, Sahni threatened villagers and fled. In the aftermath, locals claimed to have recovered a severed dog’s head and leg bones from a nearby garden, which they said confirmed their fears. A written complaint was subsequently filed at the Garahiya police station by affected families, demanding strict action.
One villager said the accused had come to his house in the evening offering meat, which he declined to eat himself, but other family members consumed unknowingly and later became ill. Another woman alleged that Sahni insisted on leaving meat at her home despite her refusal, after which several people, including children, fell sick.
The incident has left the village tense, with residents calling for the immediate arrest of the accused. Aditya Kumar, station house officer of Garahiya police station, said the matter was under serious investigation. “We have received information about the incident. The facts are being verified, and an FIR will be registered after investigation. Efforts are on to trace the accused,” he said.
Police said further legal action would follow once the investigation establishes the sequence of events and responsibility.
