Indians reacted with anger after a construction crew laid a road over a sleeping dog.

Workers allegedly poured hot tar on the dog, partially burying it alive, while laying a road near Taj Mahal in Agra, India, on the night of June 12.

Noted social activist Naresh Paras told reporters: “The dog was sleeping on the side of the road. Instead of chasing the animal away, they poured burning coal tar over it. Later, a road roller ran over the animal.”

The crew left the half-buried carcass on the road, which was spotted by shocked commuters on the morning of June 13.

A local resident Virendra Singh said the dog was alive when he saw it in the morning.

“The dog’s legs were buried under the tar and it was writhing in agony. The workers refused to break the road to remove it. The dog died after,” he said.

A group of local residents and animal rights activists gathered at the site of the incident and staged a demonstration against the Public Works Department (PWD), which is responsible for the road work.

But PWD officials put the blame on a private firm to whom the work had been outsourced.

Angry protesters seized the construction vehicles and halted work forcing a senior representative of the firm to come to the spot. He expressed regret over the inhumane act and brought in a digger to remove the dog’s carcass.

Station house officer of Sadar police station, Narendra Kumar said a case has been registered against RP Infrastructure, the firm which was carrying out the repair work.