Colombo: The Mankulam Police have arrested a 48-year-old woman over a social media post depicting a dog allegedly being hanged.
The suspect, a resident of Mankulam, was arrested under the Criminal Procedure Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance, No 13 of 1907.
Police spokesman SSP Buddhika Manathunga said that the woman will be produced before courts, and further investigations are underway by the Mankulam Police.
The arrest follows allegations by the Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC) that a mediation board in Oddusuddan, Mullaitivu District, had issued a verdict to hang a dog that had bitten a goat. The decision was reportedly made to resolve a conflict between two groups of people, according to The Daily Mirror report.
AWC Executive Committee Member, Dr Chamith Nanayakkara, told the Daily Mirror that a letter had been sent to Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, informing him of the incident.
According to the letter, the incident was reported on Saturday last (Jan 25). The Mediation Board in Oddusuddan had reportedly issued the order to hang the dog as a resolution to the conflict between the two groups.