Muzaffarnagar Police Registers FIR Against Man for Breaking Calf’s Legs, Following PETA India Action
After learning that a man had broken a calf’s fore and hind legs, PETA India worked with the concerned resident who reported the incident and senior officials of Muzaffarnagar police to have a first information report (FIR) registered. The FIR has been registered under Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and sections 3 and 11 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, by Mansurpur police station. PETA India is now appealing to the police to add charges under the relevant sections of the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955, for the heinous crime. The calf has been transported to a local gaushala for further veterinary care but is in extremely poor condition.
PETA India also recommends that perpetrators of animal abuse undergo psychiatric evaluation and receive counselling, as abusing animals indicates deep psychological disturbance. Research shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals are often repeat offenders who move on to hurting other animals, including humans. For example, Ameerul Islam – sentenced to death for raping and murdering a Kerala law student – had a history of raping and killing dogs and goats. A study published in 1998 in the Journal of Emotional Abuse found that of abused women who sought shelter at a safe home and had companion animals, 71% confirmed that their partner had threatened, injured, or killed the animals.
PETA India has long campaigned to strengthen the PCA Act, 1960, which contains outdated, inadequate penalties such as a maximum fine of only Rs 50 for convicted first-time offenders, although the IPC does prescribe stronger punishments. In a proposal sent to the central government regarding an amendment to the PCA Act, PETA India has recommended significantly increasing penalties for cruelty to animals.
