As if to bring a closure on the bizarre Burari mass murder, the only surviving member of the Bhatia family — an Indie-pitbull mixed breed — breathed his last yesterday at around 7.30 pm at an animal dispensary in Sector 55, Noida.
Tommy, as he was called, died of a cardiac arrest.
The same was confirmed by Sanjay Mahapatra, who rescued the anxious dog from the Bhatia house on July 1.
Mahapatra, an avid animal lover, not only rescued the dog, but also provided him medical treatment at his own expense. He also conducted sessions with the dog to help him cope with the loss of his home and master. Speaking on the demise, he said, “I had plans to keep this dog, but destiny had other plans.”
Prashant Singh Chundavat — the grandson of Narayan Devi, the eldest member of the family which allegedly committed suicide — had given written approval, allowing the dog’s adoption on July 9.
“He was depressed and suffered from anxiety. Whenever Tommy was taken out for a walk, he always kept looking at faces of passersby, as if searching for his owners. But despite everything he was recovering gradually. And then, this happened. Things have their own ways of panning out,” Mahapatra reasoned.
The dog died exactly 22 days after 11 members of Bhatia family members committed suicide on the intervening night of June 30 and July 1.
After completing the postmortem procedures and police verification, the dog was given a burial in Noida. “After his death I informed Noida and Delhi police for verification and also informed Prashant Singh , who had allowed the custody of the Dog,” Mahapatra said.
