Following Complaints by PETA India, Meghalaya Man Charged With Killing and Eating a Monkey

After receiving word that a man mercilessly killed and cooked a rhesus macaque monkey – a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 – PETA India worked with the district authorities of West Garo Hills to file a First Information Report (FIR) against the suspect, Sengkud Sangma. The Deputy Commissioner ordered the Superintendent of Police and the Divisional Forest Officer of West Garo Hills District to form a joint team to investigate the matter and arrest Sangma. The charge in the FIR – filed under Sections 9 and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 – is a non-bailable offence and is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a fine of at least Rs 10,000. Sangma was arrested on 30 December and will appear in court soon. After committing the alleged offence, he reportedly posted photographs of it on Facebook, which is how PETA India learned about it.

Facebook post of Sengkud Sangma, the accused.

This monkey eater nabbed! https://t.co/Ffu8WFhY9c

— Ingrid Newkirk (@IngridNewkirk) January 3, 2019

Research shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals are often repeat offenders who move on to hurting other animals or humans. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has found that a history of animal abuse is one of the traits that regularly appears in the records of serial rapists and murderers. This is the case in India, too: Veerappan was a poacher as well as a serial killer, and the infamous Noida serial murders of children took place at the home of Moninder Singh Pandher, who was fond of hunting. In a study of domestic violence victims, 60 per cent of them said that their abusive partners had harmed or killed their dogs or other animals. PETA India has long campaigned to strengthen The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which contains archaic penalties, such as a maximum fine of only Rs 50 for convicted first-time offenders.

Witnessing cruelty to animals is an upsetting experience, but knowing how to handle the situation properly can save a life and prevent the abuser from harming other victims. Here are nine things to do if you see someone abuse an animal:

Atrocities like this will continue unless animal abusers face appropriate consequences for their actions. Join us in demanding stronger punishments: