A school teacher from Bhandup West has lodged a police complaint against a fellow resident for allegedly harming a stray dog residing in their housing society.

The complainant, Rita Victor Montero, 45, a teacher at New Horizon School in Thane, claims that a woman named Abhilasha Shinde repeatedly poured harmful chemicals into the dog’s eyes, causing permanent damage to its right eye. The Bhandup police have registered an FIR against Shinde under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Montero has claimed she has permission from the BMC to care for the dog named Rani. In October, she noticed that Rani’s right eye was bleeding, prompting her to seek veterinary care. The veterinarian informed her that the dog had been subjected to a harmful chemical.

On October 12, her daughter allegedly witnessed Shinde pouring a red chemical on Rani’s body and into her eyes. Upon reviewing the CCTV footage, Montero claimed to have found multiple similar instances. She brought the matter to the attention of the society’s chairman, Ashok Kadam, and requested that Shinde be warned. However, Shinde allegedly repeated the act, resulting in permanent damage to the dog’s right eye.

Montero has now filed a formal complaint at the police station, providing details of the incidents and committing to submit the CCTV footage as evidence. The Bhandup police are investigating the case and reviewing the CCTV footage to determine the course of action.