Bengal man goes down fighting for his best friends — street dogs
Shau, who worked in a jute mill, was bludgeoned to death on Wednesday night by his neighbour, Sambhunath Bag, who accused him of 'pampering' street dogs to a point where, he said, they became a 'menace' in the locality.
Not everyone is a dog lover. Baneswar Shau, 50, of Baksara, in Howrah, was. And today, he’s dead because of his love for man’s best friend!
Shau, who worked in a jute mill, was bludgeoned to death on Wednesday night by his neighbour, Sambhunath Bag, who accused him of "pampering" street dogs to a point where, he said, they became a "menace" in the locality.
Das, who escaped after the crime, was later arrested by the police.
"Bag has been arrested following a complaint by Babai Shau, son of the victim. We’re getting the names of a few more people who were also involved. We’re probing the incident," Rakesh Singh, assistant commissioner of Howrah Police, said.
Locals said Shau used to feed and pet the animals on his way back from the mill after night shifts.
The dogs would gather around him and escort him to his home each night. They would even stay close to his house.
Bag had protested several times for his misconceived notion that the reason for the number of dogs increasing in the locality was Shau’s adoration for canines.
Finally, on Wednesday night, Bag confronted Shau when he was going back home from his factory. An altercation ensued and Bag began clubbing his neighbour with sticks.
After the murder, enraged locals demonstrated in the area with the body.
Bengal has earlier witnessed people being killed for protesting against noise pollution.
But no one could recollect any incident in which animal lovers were beaten to death.