An animal rescue agency in Gurugram has found its contract cancelled by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) after a complaint was filed against it for animal cruelty. The complaint was raised by animal activist Nikhil Mahesh, from the NGO Umeed for Animals Foundation, about the mistreatment of a 4-month-old monkey during a stray animal drive in Valley View Estate on February 3. It fell from a tree and got injured after it was given a drugged banana by the agency.
Mahesh has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana Chief Minister Manohal Lal Khattar, and filed a complaint with Gurgaon Police and the MCG, demanding justice for the animal.
The letter said that monkeys were a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) under Schedule II and should not be treated in an inhumane way. Mahesh also alleged that monkeys were being transported in vehicles in a cruel manner without food or water during the process of relocation.
MCG found the hired agency guilty during its investigation and cancelled its contract. MCG joint commissioner YS Gupta said, “We have taken action against the contractor, as we found that the monkeys had been drugged, which is not acceptable.”
Meanwhile, Mahesh pointed out that a police FIR was still pending in the case.
He said, “The methods used by the contractor to capture monkeys are illegal. We are still awaiting justice for the poor animal.”