Kolkata: Two nursing students arrested for brutally killing 16 puppies
Two days after the brutal murder of 16 puppies rocked Kolkata, two nursing students have been arrested in connection with the killings. The carcasses of the puppies had been discovered in the parking lot of the NRS Medical College and Hospital, and the two students who have been arrested are residential students of the same institute. Police believe more people are involved. Here's more.
Carcasses of the puppies were discovered on Sunday
The heinous crime came to light on Sunday afternoon when three waste disposal bags were found in the parking lot of the NRS Medical College and Hospital. The bags, containing the dead puppies and their presumed dead mother, had been dumped by unknown individuals. However, when the adult dog, bleeding profusely from a nearly-gouged out eye, tore open a bag and escaped, locals discovered the extent of the brutality.
The hospital-led probe identified five suspects
With enraged citizens, NGOs, and activists demanding that the puppy killers be brought to justice, the hospital authorities had initiated a probe into the incident. On Tuesday, the probe committee began interrogating residents of the nurses' hostel, and zeroed in on five suspects. At the same time, police began their interrogation of the suspects, which eventually led to their arrest.
Police identified the perpetrators with the help of a video
Following the discovery of the dead puppies, a 25-second video had gone viral on social media showing two women wearing gloves clobbering the puppies to death. Based on the video, and with help from the hospital's guards, police were able to identify the two women in the video. Turned out, one was a first-year nursing student, while the other was a year senior.
Identities of the two women who have been arrested
The two women who have been arrested are first-year student Moutusi Mondal, hailing from Bankura, and second-year student Soma Burman from Kakdwip. During police interrogation, both confessed to the killings. However, the manner in which the killings were carried out suggest that other people were involved too. Police are currently interrogating other suspects related to the killings.
The savage manner in which the puppies were killed
During the interrogation, it was found that the puppies and their mother had been lured into the nursing students' hostel's backyard, and had then been coralled into a compound. The exits to the compound were then blocked, and the two aforementioned women went about their jobs, bludgeoning the puppies to death. The deed took around an hour, police said.
The two students could face seven years in prison
Further, police said that the killings were not a spur-of-moment thing, but had been carefully planned and executed. Additionally, given the manner in which the pups had been lured, coralled, and murdered, police said that it could not have been possible for just two individuals. The two women who have been arrested will be produced in court on Wednesday and, if convicted, could face up to seven years in prison.
