Animal rights activists, who received an anonymous tip off from someone in Vellore, filed an FIR against the four medical college students. The incident, according to Chennai-based Humane Society International (HIS), occurred on November 21 and a case was filed on Wednesday.

An animal rights activist received a call about a monkey being brutally killed in Christian Medical College in Vellore. The exhumed carcass revealed that the monkey was treated very badly. “Its hands were tied at the back and a telephonic wire was tied to her neck. The body had multiple fractures and a sharp object was inserted into her anus. The incident was reported to the assistant conservator of forest who also employed a team to investigate the matter,” said an HSI official.

In a press statement, NG Jayasimha, managing director of HSI/India said, “This is one of the most horrendous incidents of animal cruelty that we have witnessed. What is more shocking is that we are seeing medical students who are bound by the oath of service and treatment inflicting such cruelty on defenseless animals.”

He further said that there was abundant research demonstrating that violence towards animals can be an indicator of other abuse and potentially a predictor of serious anti-social behavior, including criminal offenses and violence towards women and children. “We urgently demand a psychiatric evaluation in the case and hope that the police will take necessary action against this inexplicable cruelty on a monkey,” Jayasimha said.