A DJ at the centre of an animal cruelty case yesterday failed to show up to acknowledge the charge, citing illness.
Wararat: Must report to police on Monday
Wararat Krasae, 30, assigned her lawyer to meet the police at Phetkasem police station in Bangkok and seek a postponement until Nov 5, with a medical certificate confirming her condition.
Pol Col Wutthichai Chaiyawat, the station superintendent, said yesterday Ms Wararat is required to report on Monday, because the requested extension was deemed too long.
He said that as per the medical certificate, the suspect is allowed to take sick leave until Monday, adding that if she failed to appear, a warrant would be issued for her arrest.
Ms Wararat was accused of brutally killing a kitten that Isaraporn Samutklalin, had put up for adoption.
It was alleged the gory killing was broadcast on the "dark web" for fetishists. The suspect was allegedly paid in bitcoin for displaying the animal torture.
Ms Isaraporn, 29, filed the complaint with Phetkasem police, who called the DJ in for questioning. The accused DJ handed over the dead kitten, claiming it had been killed by a car.
An initial search at her condominium in Bangkok but found no evidence to support the accusation.
It was reported that police obtained another warrant to search a house in Bangkok's Thawi Wattana district, where they found some evidence that prompted them to summon Ms Wararat.
The station chief said police have initial information that the suspect had adopted several kittens from a number of owners, who may step forward to give evidence.
Pol Col Wutthichai said police will send the kitten's carcass for a necropsy. The dead kitten had been kept by Watchdog Thailand, an NGO that collected the remains from its original owner after the DJ returned it.
The group was expected to hand over the carcass, a key piece of evidence in the investigation, yesterday afternoon.
The charge of animal cruelty carries a jail term of two years and/or a fine of 40,000 baht.
Pol Col Wutthichai said the Technology Crime Suppression Division had already been asked to look into the alleged animal cruelty on the dark web.
The probe is expected to take some time, he said.
