Latest news with #FederationofIndianAnimalProtectionOrganisations
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Sexual crimes against animals: Plea in HC
New Delhi: Delhi High Court is likely to examine a plea seeking to prosecute those involved in sexual crimes against animals next month. The bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela on May 28 posted the matter for further hearing on July 16 to enable the petitioner to bring more facts on record. The court was dealing with a plea filed by the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) that highlighted the consequences of the "complete repeal" of Section 377 (unnatural sexual offences) of IPC under the newly enacted Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). While Section 377 of the IPC was read down by Supreme Court in the 2018 Navtej Singh Johar judgment to decriminalise consensual same-sex relationships, its complete deletion from BNS inadvertently decriminalised sexual violence against animals, it said. The parliamentary standing committee on home affairs, the plea said, in its report on BNS highlighted the removal of Section 377, proposing reinstating it to address non-consensual sexual offences against men, transpersons and animals. It submitted that in April 2025 alone, a couple of crimes were reported in Delhi against animals. A man was arrested in Shahdara for allegedly raping several dogs. A pet dog, which succumbed later, was found unconscious on a road in Saket, and a condom was found in its intimate parts. tnn
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Delhi High Court to hear plea over sexual crimes against animals in July
The Delhi High Court would in July hear a plea to prosecute those involved in sexual crimes against animals. A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela on May 28 posted the matter on July 16 to enable the petitioner to bring more facts on record. The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) in its PIL highlighted the "complete repeal" of Section 377 (unnatural sexual offences) of IPC under the newly-enacted Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). While Section 377 of the IPC was rightly read down by the Supreme Court in the 2018 Navtej Singh Johar judgment to decriminalise consensual same-sex relationships, its complete deletion from BNS inadvertently decriminalised sexual violence against animals, leaving them unprotected by law, it argued. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, the plea said, in its report on BNS highlighted the removal of Section 377, proposing reinstating it to address non-consensual sexual offences against men, transpersons and animals. The plea, filed through advocate Varnika Singh, sought the restoration of the provision that specifically criminalised sexual crimes against animals under the erstwhile Section 377 of IPC. In April alone, the PIL referred to a couple of crimes being reported in the national capital. While a man was arrested in Shahdara area for allegedly raping several dogs, a pet dog, which succumbed later, was found unconscious on a road in Saket and a condom was retrieved from its intimate parts. The PIL also referred to an incident in Coimbatore, where a construction worker was found sexually abusing a dog. FIAPO's CEO Bharati Ramachandran, in a statement, said, "Animals cannot defend themselves. They deserve justice and protection from sexual violence under law.'
The Print
03-06-2025
- The Print
Indian laws are letting animals down every day. It's a legal, moral, ethical issue
Just the past few months have seen multiple cases of sexual abuse of stray dogs—from a man who allegedly assaulted as many as 13 strays in Delhi to another arrested for abusing a dog in Bengaluru. These are not isolated events. They reflect a disturbing pattern of violence that continues unabated across the country. An FIR was eventually registered against the organisers under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. But such legal action is rare and, more often than not, symbolic. In a country where a dog being tied to an autorickshaw and dragged through the streets barely makes the news cycle, the moral and legal silence is deafening. A young camel calf collapsed and died in Ghaziabad after being overworked, starved, and denied medical care during Ramlila festivities last October. The animal's death, followed by the hurried disposal of its body by the organisers, was not just an act of cruelty—it was an erasure of evidence, a denial of dignity, and a stark reminder of how invisible animal suffering remains in India. A 2021 report by the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) and All Creatures Great and Small (ACGS) documented over a thousand such cases between 2010 and 2020, including sexual violence and acid attacks. These were compiled not from police records, but from media reports and NGO data—because India still doesn't formally track crimes against animals. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not even include them in its annual Crime in India report. This is not just a bureaucratic oversight. It is a systemic failure—one that denies legal recognition to victims, weakens enforcement, and perpetuates a cycle of cruelty without consequence. Also Read: Stray dogs don't 'charge to kill', 'plot to poop'. So-called menace is a human-made problem A law that doesn't bite India's primary legislation for animal protection, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, is outdated and toothless. A person who tortures or kills an animal can often walk away with a fine of just Rs 50 on a first offence. While the BNS replaces the older IPC Sections 428 and 429 with Section 325—allowing up to five years' imprisonment for killing or maiming animals—this provision remains underused and poorly enforced. With such leniency, it's no wonder that cruelty continues unchecked. The lack of deterrence, combined with inadequate enforcement, makes animals the most expendable victims in our society. Animal cruelty is a public safety issue Animal abuse is not just a fringe issue. Psychological and criminological research around the world has consistently shown that individuals who abuse animals are more likely to commit acts of violence against humans. Some criminal cases in India have shown this link as well. For instance, in the 2016 Jisha case in Kerala, where a young woman was raped and murdered, the accused had a disturbing history of animal abuse. In the US, law enforcement agencies like the FBI have gone a step further, tracking animal cruelty as a specific category in their national crime database, recognising its value in identifying future violent offenders. One study found that 43 per cent of school shooters had previously committed acts of animal cruelty, often targeting neighbourhood pets. In India, such data is absent. But the pattern is visible to anyone willing to look. What must change If India is to move beyond performative compassion, it must start by acknowledging cruelty to animals as a serious crime—both in law and in practice. That means reimagining our legal architecture and addressing the glaring gaps in enforcement and documentation. The first step is reforming the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. This law, written over 60 years ago, was never designed to deal with the kinds of organised, intentional cruelty we see today. The penalties it prescribes are outdated and ineffective. We need a modern law—one that increases fines, extends prison terms, and makes serious crimes like sexual abuse or organised violence against animals non-bailable. Equally important is the question of visibility. Today, animal cruelty is not even recorded in India's official crime statistics. The National Crime Records Bureau must include these offences in its annual Crime in India report. Without data, policymakers, enforcement agencies, and the courts remain blind to the scale of the problem. Recording such crimes is a moral and legal necessity. Lastly, enforcement cannot improve unless those tasked with it are equipped for the job. Police officers and judicial personnel need proper training—not just in the legal framework governing animal welfare, but in understanding how animal abuse is often a precursor to human violence. Recognising this connection is vital for ensuring that such crimes are not brushed aside or dismissed as minor. Also Read: Animal cruelty needs more than tough laws, aggressive policing. Colonial-era battles show why Beyond the law: A moral reckoning Article 51A(g) of our Constitution calls on every citizen to show compassion toward all living beings. Article 48A directs the State to protect wildlife and the environment. The Supreme Court, in Animal Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja (2014), recognised animals' right to live with dignity under Article 21. Yet, these constitutional ideals are a stark contrast to the everyday realities of unchecked abuse. When we allow such cruelty to be normalised—when we fail to record it, prosecute it, or even acknowledge it—we don't just fail animals. We fail ourselves. Justice Radhakrishnan, who authored the Nagaraja judgment, called for a stronger PCA Act over a decade ago. Yet, no meaningful legislative change has followed. Eleven years later, animals remain at the mercy of an indifferent system and an outdated law. India now stands at a moral and legal crossroads. The question is not whether animals matter. It is whether we do. Whether we have the courage to confront our collective complicity—or whether we will wait for the next viral video, the next unspeakable act, the next avoidable death. The author is an advocate at the Supreme Court of India & Delhi High Court, and head consultant at the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO). She specialises in animal law and policy reform. Views are personal. (Edited by Asavari Singh)
