Nagpur, Nov 10 (PTI) A cat was found dead and suspended from a tree by a noose in Nagpur city,

Nagpur, Nov 10 (PTI) A cat was found dead and suspended from a tree by a noose in Nagpur city,

Nagpur, Nov 10 (PTI) A cat was found dead and suspended from a tree by a noose in Nagpur city,

Nagpur, Nov 10 (PTI) A cat was found dead and suspended from a tree by a noose in Nagpur city, with local residents suspecting it was part of a superstitious ritual, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place in the Sarvashri Nagar area under Hudkeshwar police station limits on Sunday (Diwali day), they said.

The incident came to light around 8 am when a local resident informed Rashmi Shekhar Masram (33), a volunteer with the Save Speechless Organisation, about the cat hanging from a tree with a rope around its neck.

Masram rushed to the spot, removed the rope and took the cat to the District Veterinary Hospital, where the animal was declared dead. A post-mortem examination confirmed that the cat died due to asphyxiation caused by hanging, according to police.

Masram later lodged a complaint with the Hudkeshwar police and a case was registered against an unidentified person under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and other relevant provisions.

"An investigation has been launched to identify the person responsible for the cat's death. We are verifying the circumstances in which the incident took place. The rumours about witchcraft have not been established so far," a police official said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)