New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI) A team from People for Animals (PFA), an animal welfare organisation founded by BJP MP Maneka Gandhi, conducted a spot investigation into suspected dog-attack cases at Vasant Kunj here and said the incidents were "misreported" with dogs being "blamed" for the attacks "without any evidence".

In suspected incidents of stray-dog attack, two minor brothers were found dead in southwest Delhi's Vasant Kunj area, police said on Sunday, adding that the deceased lived with their parents in a slum cluster at Sindhi Basti.

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Ambika Shukla, a trustee at PFA, claimed that the incidents were not "subjected to careful scrutiny".

Talking to PTI, Shukla said, "In the Vasant Kunj case, most of the locals have testified that they never saw dogs harming any child. What we are seeing is a few incidents from different times and places being tied together to create the impression that such instances are common or frequent when, in fact, they are rare abnormalities, which is why they are news."

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She further said each incident is "different" and must be analysed in terms of its particular circumstances.

"Instead, what we are seeing is hype and hysteria being whipped up to trigger reactions of hate and intolerance that help neither humans nor animals," Shukla said.

According to the PFA team's findings, there is a "lack of evidence" to confirm these incidents as cases of dog attack.

"Even bite marks, if present, cannot be taken to be any indication of cause of death as there is an equal possibility of those being caused post death. There has to be a clinical forensic determination for that. Without a proper police and medical enquiry, it is irresponsible for anyone to issue any statement regarding the tragic deaths of the two children," the PFA said.

The organisation said its volunteers visited the area and met the family members and neighbours of the deceased children.

"People residing in the area said the injuries appeared more like knife wounds and it seems these were cases of murder or perhaps even of organ theft. There could also be a case of family enmity. However, nobody saw any dog biting in either incident. No shouting, screaming or barking was heard. The person who first saw one of the bodies said dogs were sitting around the child but he never saw any dog biting," according to the statement issued by PFA.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)