A Delhi resident has been booked under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act for cutting off a puppy’s leg last week. Pramod had used a blade to chop off the 2-month-old animal’s legs after the puppy gave him a minor scratch, a police officer said. The puppy had entered Pramod’s Dwarka home after he had offered it food, Hindustan Times reported on Thursday.

“I chopped off the legs of the dog because I was drunk. I had beaten my wife that day because she was trying to protect it,” he told Mail Today. PS Palam Police have begun punitive proceedings against the 34-year-old, who said he had used a hacksaw to cut through the bones.

Animal rights activist Gaurav Sharma filed a complaint against Pramod on Wednesday. After the FIR was registered, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Surendra Kumar said they would take action against him.

According to Indian law, killing stray animal brings a fine of Rs 50, while an individual could face up to five years in jail for a similar crime against a pet.

Neighbours said they would often find Pramod in an inebriated state. They claimed he would catch and roast pigeons to eat, and his wife said he had once brought home a monkey and hacked it to death.