Four arrested for killing community dog Mikey at Madh Island complex

The Malvani police have arrested four men, including a housekeeping staffer, for the killing of a friendly community dog named Mikey inside the Raheja Exotica complex in Madh Island, Mumbai. The arrests were made a month after the animal was killed in the early hours of May 27.

The arrested individuals have been identified as housekeeping staffer Vaibhav Koli, whom residents describe as the main accused, alongside Moreshwar Patil, Santosh Kapur, and Dharmendra Gound. The arrests followed a detailed investigation into the animal cruelty case.

The breakthrough in the case came after cooperative efforts between local residents, animal rights activists, and the police. Several residents, including actor Manjiri Fadnis, actively participated in the effort by reviewing CCTV footage to help the police team piece together the exact sequence of events.

According to animal rights activist Xavier Santiago, most of the CCTV cameras inside the housing society had allegedly been switched off a day before Mikey was killed and his body was packed in a gunny sack. Fortunately, one camera at the adjoining Raheja Clubhouse remained operational.

With the assistance of the Malvani police, activists and residents checked hours of footage from the functioning clubhouse camera to see what had happened in the early hours of May 27.

The footage revealed that security guards carrying lathis allegedly forced Mikey towards the B-2 section of the housing society. Koli then arrived on a scooter, entered the B-2 section, and allegedly bludgeoned Mikey with a heavy rod. Gound then allegedly provided a gunny sack to remove Mikey's body from the premises.

Local animal lovers expressed their gratitude to senior police inspector Shailendra Nagarkar and his team for their investigation, which successfully brought the perpetrators of the animal cruelty case to justice.