Seven Men Booked for Hunting Protected Birds in Suryapet Following PETA India Complaint

In response to a report from a concerned citizen who witnessed a group of men shooting cattle egrets and cormorants, birds protected under Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972, PETA India collaborated with Huzurnagar police station officials to stop the shooting and register a first information report (FIR).

On Saturday, 26 October, Huzurnagar police station registered a suo moto FIR based on PETA India’s complaint against seven individuals under sections 9 and 51 of the WPA, 1972; Section 325 read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; Section 27 of the Arms Act, 1959; and Section 11 (1)(a) and (1)(l) of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. The accused were allegedly hired by a resident of Kalmalchervu village to keep the birds away from eating fish from a fishpond. Police seized four muzzleloader guns, four tins of gunpowder, and six dead birds from the accused’s possession.

Section 27(1) of the Arms Act, 1959, prescribes the punishment for the illegal manufacture and use of arms and provides for a jail term of not less than three years, which may be extended to seven years, and a fine. Section 9 of the WPA, 1972, prohibits the hunting of protected wild animals, while Section 51 of the WPA, 1972, makes the killing of a Schedule II species punishable by a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, a jail term of up to three years, or both. Section 325 of the BNS, 2023, makes the maiming or killing of any animal a cognisable offence and provides for a jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both, while Section 3(5) of the BNS, 2023, addresses acts committed with “common intention” by multiple individuals. Furthermore, Section 11(1) of the PCA Act, 1960, defines acts that are cruel to animals and makes the same punishable under the law, in particular Section 11(1)(l), which makes it a cognisable offence to kill or mutilate an animal.