A social media storm has erupted over alleged WhatsApp conversations among IIT Hyderabad students discussing harming or killing campus dogs. The allegations, highlighted by a user on X, point to ‘dog hating groups’ and are linked to the recent mysterious death of a campus dog, prompting the Hyderabad City Police to take notice.
A social media storm has erupted over alleged WhatsApp conversations among students of the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H), with screenshots purportedly showing discussions about harming or killing dogs on the sprawling campus. Hyderabad City Police have now become aware of the controversy.
Susruthi Vempathi, an X user, brought the claims to light by tagging IIT Hyderabad in a post that questioned how students at a prestigious university could allegedly be part in conversations that targeted campus pets.
“Ok this is @IITHyderabad! A premier institute where students get seats through merit and what do they do after joining college?” Vempathi wrote. Using screenshots that she claimed were from the conversations, she claimed that students had formed “dog hating groups on WhatsApp” and were “brainstorming on different ways to kill its campus dogs.”
“Don’t they know that killing dogs is a crime? The worst part is there are Phd level students who are driving this hate,” she wrote. Vempathi further connected the accusations to the recent passing of Wolfy, a campus dog, asserting that the animal passed away under “mysterious circumstances” two or three days before to her post.
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There are about 200 dogs on the 576-acre campus of IIT Hyderabad, but just four feeding areas have been set aside, all of which are located in the “fag end” of the school, according to Vempathi.
Because of their territorial nature, she said, the setup may make it difficult for dogs to get food, which might lead to famine. The uproar was heightened by a another social media post that claimed students were talking about giving dogs harmful foods such “onions, xylitol, coffee, and chocolates.”
The user also claimed that dogs were beaten “to the point of fractures,” water bowls were being destroyed, and students who looked after the animals were being harassed and perhaps expelled from their dormitory.
Police Takes Note
The controversy escalated after Hyderabad City Police responded to Vempathi’s viral post and tagged SP Sangareddy, signalling that the allegations had come to the attention of law enforcement.
Vempathi urged IIT Hyderabad to take action, asking, “So what is your next plan of action @IITHyderabad? Would you be actioning on all the above points?” Calling for greater awareness, she added: “Human welfare and animal welfare go hand in hand!”