The inconvenient truth of Sandeep’s murder (Part II) : Evidence from location – no Indian Stray Dog (or pack) could make this attack

Location of the hospital and where Sandeep's body was found

This is Part II of the report The inconvenient truth of Sandeep’s murder : Press, Politicians, Police & People blamed strays when all evidence is otherwise. You can read Part I of this report here

Soon after the incident on 2 July and then again on 7 July our team visited the location of the crime in New Yelahanka Town incident. The overall findings were revealing since they pointed to facts found to be contrary to a lot that was published immediately after the crime.   Before coming to the investigation it is important to note: The incident here is ascribed to the Indian Stray Dog – typically these are Indian Dogs or InDogs which is a distinct genotype. Fewer are actually pedigreed dogs that have becomes stray. Typically they weigh about 18-20kgs and have relatively short life spans in the urban environment and suffer greatly from malnutrition & disease. Their lifespan is of the order of about 3 yrs in the urban jungle, whereas the life span without the pressure of survival e.g. if kept as a pet, is about 12-15yrs. They are highly territorial and in the urban environment (of say Bangalore) most dogs would spend their whole life in an area of 100mts x 100 mts, never venturing out into the territories of neighboring dogs (unless relocated, and relocation is not allowed under ABC Rules of 2001) It is also worth noting that throughout the animal kingdom carrying or even dragging the equivalent of ones own weight for any considerable distance is a major feel of strength. To keep it in perspective a 70kg man, or even 2, dragging a 70kg deadweight even for 100 mts requires peak physical condition.

The findings of the investigation team at the hospital:

• The hospital has a 24 hr duty and 24hr nightwatchman, the basement and the area around is well lit, there is constant movement of patients, families, staff.
• It is easy to spot movement however no security gaurds, employees or others in the neighborhood  heard screaming or even “saw any dogs” on the said night.
• Initial reports were that the child was missing from the basement. Times of India on 1 Aug 2011 also says so. But not even a pack of dogs can kill a child silently. And no dog goes to a sleeping child and attacks. Dogs attack due to movement, due to running or when provoked.
• No dogs could have entered the basement of this hospital, because there are cattle traps (metal pipes and a drain below) which are about 4 feet wide. It is unlikely for a small child to also walk across the cattle trap.
• The distance from the hospital to the spot where the body was found was reported as 300-400 meters. But the distance measured was 700 mts! This is far to large a gap to have been missed by all concerned.
• Terrain – the road itself keeps going upwards and there is a significant hump over which the body was dragged. Reports said that the father (drunk) was sleeping in the basement at the time of the attack while his wife was expecting a baby!
• Hospital managers deny that the person was sleeping in the basement at all! The surrounding of the hospital shows hardly any stray dogs. People on location said that dogs had been removed from the area a few days before the said attack.

Statements of witnesses who live opposite the hospital:

• Noone heard anything throughout the time that would have caused an alarm
• There was a clearing of stray dogs happening 15 – 20 days ago – so there are no dogs in the vicinity.
  The distance of 700 mts is covered with apartments and strangely not one single person heard a screaming, barking… ?
• The dogs allegedly dragged/ carried the body to a particular dump 700 mts away from the hospital and did not stop before that. Please note the territorial nature of dogs.

Evidence the location where the body was found:

• The area near the garbage dump is very crowed, houses on every side. In case there was a dog attack it would have easily been noticed. In case the death would have happened there and not at the hospital, people would have heard something. Especially if dogs had killed or had a meal of meat – there would be significant noise/ fighting in the feeding frenzy – but no one heard anything.
• The team spoke to a man who lives on the ground floor right in front of where the body was found – he’d slept with windows open but heard nothing.
• Furthermore, in this apartment complex people know the stray dogs outside the complex, which are very friendly. The people spoken to said that they can’t believe the death happened due to a dog bite.
• Had this been a dog or dogs from another location it would have been very noisy because resident dogs would have protected their area. But none of the resident dogs barked
• People even told the team that there are people walking very early in the morning and nothing was seen.

This gives rise to many questions as well – How did the press, the mayor & police decide that this was a dog attack when niether the terrain nor the locations sugegst it. Nor was there a post mortem report. Was this a case when the BBMP & the police were under a lot of pressure to act and hence by declaring a dog bite the case could be closed and the compensation awarded? How is that while compensation was immediatly paid other senior BBMP officials have steadfastly maintained that this was not a dog attack? Is it not plausible that the body was thrown in the garbage and local dogs came to the body to inspect – why was no other possibility gone through?

——— End of Part II ——–  In subsequent parts we’ll  present evidence as collected by the police, the evidence from BBMP and experts on  dog behavior as well as forensic evidence and evidence  of the autopsy. Well also report how the press  continued to highlight the various, absolutely illegal and in-humane statements by the city politicians, without one pointing out that
there politician or not, and no-one has the business of calling for  mass murder of dogs especially when there is clear precedence in our
legal system to prevent it.