A resident of a housing complex on EM Bypass has been charged with cruelty towards animals after a woman from a nearby complex accused him of caging cats and dogs in his apartment, police said.

The complainant — a 45-year-old woman — had heard cries of dogs and cats from a nearby housing complex. On enquiring she found that some pets had been kept in cages inside an apartment in the neighbouring housing complex.

“The woman had come to the police station to lodge a complaint related to cruelty towards animals. She gave a written complaint. We found the complaint cognisable and have started an FIR based on it,” said an officer of Survey Park police station.

The police started an inquiry and learnt that a man who has an apartment in a complex near the one where the complainant lives kept cats and dogs in cages. The officer also apparently came to know that the owner of the apartment did not usually live there and the pets were looked after by a domestic help.

“A case has been drawn up against the owner under Section 11(l)(e)(g)(i) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960,” said an officer.

The sub-clauses under the section deals with the offences of confinement of animals in cages that are insufficient in terms of height and width for their free movement, negligence regarding proper exercise of pet dogs and keeping them chained and abandoning pets without valid reason causing starvation, pain or thirst.

“The owner will be summoned to the police station and asked about the allegations against him,” the officer said. “We will examine the circumstances under which the dogs and cats were allegedly caged.”

There have been multiple instances in the city of pets having suffered during the lockdown and forced to remain confined in the owners’ home.