iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
An Indian-origin student of the University of Texas at Dallas has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for torturing at least two cats. The man was found guilty of third-degree felony cruelty to non-livestock animals.
Shubhankar Kawle, 28, was initially arrested on October 20, 2021, at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he was a student. Investigations into the matter were initiated by the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office after a Quinlan resident complained that his cats had sustained injuries “in odd and sometimes severe ways.”
The injuries were so severe that two cats of one of the callers needed leg amputation. To ascertain the reason behind the felines’ injuries, the complainant set up a nanny cam. Kawle was videotaped torturing one of the cats for five hours on October 9, 2021.
The cat — whose name was Nimbus — had to be euthanized because of the severity of her wounds. A video of the torture was reportedly played in front of the jury. Kawle was found guilty of third-degree felony cruelty to non-livestock animals. Kawle was taken into custody after the sentencing. After he was arrested in 2021, he had been released under a $50,000 bond.
“During this time, investigators observed several signs of extreme abuse, including stains on the walls of the residence and a metal rod, and obtained radiographs and medical history from the veterinary clinic that humanely euthanized the cat,” the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office explained in a Facebook post.
“An SPCA of Texas Forensic Veterinarian determined from these that the cat’s injuries were consistent with the abuse seen on video footage,” authorities added.
“Torturing an animal is inhumane and illegal, and what Mr. Kawle did to Nimbus was not only horrific and heartbreaking, but one of the single worst cases of animal torture I’ve seen in my career,” SPCA of Texas’s Chief Investigator Courtney Burns said in a statement. “I’m pleased to see the perpetrator of this heinous crime brought to justice.”
