FIR Registered Against Illegal Greyhound Race in Rupnagar, Following PETA India Complaint
Upon learning about an illegal greyhound dog race scheduled for December 15 in Ropar, Rupnagar, Punjab, PETA India promptly alerted the Rupnagar Police. Despite this prior information and coordination to prevent the race, the race was conducted as planned. Following the illegal event, PETA India submitted a complaint and pursued the matter diligently, resulting in a First Information Report (FIR) being registered against those responsible for hosting, organizing and participating in the illegal race.
Greyhound racing involves forcing dogs to race at such dangerously high speeds that it puts a tremendous strain on their bodies, often causing them to suffer injuries or death. They are typically confined to kennels and forced to stand in their filth when not used. Dogs who lose may face harsh abuses, such as abandonment or being killed. Injuries, exhaustion, and psychological trauma are common in spectacles in which animals are forced to race, which prioritises gambling over the welfare of the animals.
Recently, PETA India, working with senior police officials, successfully prevented illegal greyhound races across multiple locations: Mansa District, Punjab (23 December); Lasoi village, Malerkotla, Punjab (10 December); Vijayapura, Karnataka (12 December); SAS Nagar Mohali, Punjab (8 December); Sri Muktsar Sahib, Punjab (6 December); Samrala village, Ludhiana, Punjab (30 November); Chung village, Tarn Taran, Punjab (27 November); Yamuna Nagar, Haryana (25 November); and Moga, Punjab (24 November).
In its complaint, PETA India stated that under the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules, 2001, animals cannot be legally used for training, exhibition, or performances without prior approval from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). Additionally, such races violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,1960, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which prohibits inflicting unnecessary suffering on animals.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 specifically criminalizes inciting animals to fight with other animals. In the landmark judgment of Animal Welfare Board of India vs A Nagaraja & Ors (Civil Appeal No 5387/2014) of 7 May 2014, the Supreme Court clarified that activities such as animal racing come within the purview of animal fights as they involve forcing animals into competitive and harmful situations, akin to incitement to fight. In a letter dated 7 December 2020 to the Chief Secretary of Punjab, the AWBI opined that essentially all animal races, particularly dog races, are prohibited under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 and has declared similar events illegal. The letter warned that conducting animal races amounts to contempt of court and urged the withdrawal of any permissions or directions for such activities to ensure compliance with the law.
