Pune: A video from Vaikunth Crematorium in Navi Peth went viral on Wednesday (January 8), showing a stray dog allegedly eating partially burnt remains of a dead body.
The footage caused widespread alarm among citizens, prompting an inspection by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials. After investigating, the PMC clarified that the dog was eating burnt bread left behind as an offering, not human remains.
The incident occurred when some citizens were present at the crematorium for a funeral. They noticed a stray dog near a cremation site and recorded a video, suspecting the dog was consuming remains of a partially burnt body.
The footage quickly circulated on social media, leading to outrage and concern. Social activist Abhijit Baravkar raised the issue with PMC Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale, urging action.
Following the incident, PMC's Chief Engineer of the Electric Department, Manisha Shekatkar, visited the site. In her statement, Shekatkar said, "We inspected the area based on the complaint. Citizens had left bread and coconut as offerings, which the dog was eating. There were no partially burnt remains of a dead body involved."
The viral video also brought to light a larger issue: stray dogs frequenting the crematorium due to lapses in the staff's duty to stay until bodies are fully cremated. PMC officials acknowledged this and assured measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
