Bulandshahr Teen Who Tortured Cat Now Detained for Abusing Variety of Other Animals and for Involvement in Child Sexual Abuse After PETA India Intervention
Following the registration of a first information report (FIR) by Kotwali Dehat Police Station under sections 3 and 11 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, on 29 August against a Bulandshahr teen for violently spinning a cat stuffed inside a sack, the accused has now been detained for serious offences against other animals and a human baby. PETA India intervened in the case after discovering several videos of animal abuse on the accused’s social media account, including videos that showed him abusing a black kite and a king cobra. Both species are protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972. Another video posted on the teen’s Instagram account showed an individual inappropriately touching an infant. PETA India fired off a letter to the senior superintendent of police and divisional forest officer of Bulandshahr and met with the circle officer for Bulandshahr city, successfully requesting that relevant stringent sections be added to the FIR.
These include Section 67B of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, and sections 13 and 14 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. A preliminary offence report was also registered under sections 9, 39(3), and 51 of the WPA for offences related to wildlife abuse by the Bulandshahr Forest Division of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department. Since the accused is a juvenile, he was taken into custody and presented before the Juvenile Justice Board, which sent him to an observation home.
Section 67B of the IT Act, 2000, penalises the publishing of material depicting children in sexually explicit acts in electronic form. Violations under this section can result in imprisonment of up to five years and/or a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh. Sections 13 and 14 of the POCSO Act, 2012, penalises the use of children for pornographic purposes, which is punishable by imprisonment for a minimum of five years, along with a fine. Section 9 of the WPA prohibits the hunting of protected wild animals. “Hunting” has been defined as capturing, coursing, trapping, or even attempting to do so. Hunting a Schedule I species is punishable under Section 51 of the WPA with a jail term of at least three years, but which may be extended to seven years, and a fine of at least Rs 25,000.
PETA India recommends that perpetrators of animal abuse undergo psychiatric evaluation and receive counselling, as such actions often indicate deep psychological disturbances. Research shows that individuals who commit acts of cruelty to animals are often repeat offenders who may go on to harm other animals, including humans. A study published in Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal stated, “Those who engage in animal cruelty were [three] times more likely to commit other crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, assault, harassment, threats, and drug/substance abuse.”
PETA India has long campaigned for strengthening 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 Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, prescribes stronger punishments). In a proposal sent to the central government regarding an amendment to the act, PETA India recommended significantly increasing penalties for cruelty to animals.
