NEW DELHI, Apr 17: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted a search at the residence of a Bengaluru man who claimed to have imported a rare breed of “wolf dog” worth about Rs 50 crore, triggering intervention by the central probe agency.
Following the man’s headline-grabbing claim, which quickly became a topic of discussion on social media, ED officials visited his home to investigate potential violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
The probe agency, sources said, raided S Satish’s residence and also interrogated him over his dog called Cadabomb Okami, which he claimed to have purchased in February. However, after the search, it was revealed that the man’s claim was false. During the course of the raid, the ED team sifted through Satish’s bank account and did not come across any huge transaction around the time the dog was allegedly purchased. Such a situation gives rise to doubts over the use of the hawala route for payment, a source said.
The officials believed that the man had “no means” to afford such an expensive dog, and concluded that the reports were fabricated possibly for social media attention. According to several news reports, the man had claimed to have imported the “world’s most expensive” dog — a cross-breed of a Caucasian Shepherd and a wolf. The claim gained significant attention on social media.
Acting on this information, the ED visited his home to verify the claims, only to discover they were untrue. The dog, which had been widely shared on social media, was actually owned by his neighbour and was worth “less than a lakh (of rupees),” officials said.
The source added that Satish’s claims that the dog is of a foreign breed may also not be true. “The dog appears to be of Indian breed but a detailed probe is underway. His interrogation is still going on,” the source said.
“I spent $5.7 million on buying this pup because I am fond of dogs and like to own unique dogs and introduce them to India,” Mr Satish is claimed to have said. Born in the United States, the dog is only eight months old and weighs more than five kilograms. It eats 3 kg of raw meat every day. According to the American Kennel Club, the canine is part Shepherd, and at the heart, it is a guardian breed – known for its protective instincts and intelligence – that “should never be taken lightly.”
According to media reports, Satish revealed that he makes money by showing off his “su-paw-star” dogs to excited crowds, raking in anywhere from $2,800 for 30 minutes to $11,700 for five hours. “I spend money on these dogs because they are rare. Besides, I get enough money because people are always curious to see them,” he explained. “They take selfies and pictures. My dog and I get more attention than an actor at a movie screening. We both are crowd-pullers,” he said.
Satish also owns a rare Chow Chow which he said he bought for about $3.25 million last year. All these dogs are well taken care of. They live on a seven-acre farm where each has 20ft by 20ft room as their kennel. “There is enough space for them to walk and run. There are six people to look after them,” he said, adding: “They don’t need an air conditioner as the weather in the city is cool but they are well taken care of.”
(Manas Dasgupta)
