Perpetrators of Gorai Beach Horse-Cart Race Arrested, After PETA India Complaint, FIR Registered Under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960

Mumbai, 20th February 2021 (GNI): Gorai police registered a First Information Report (FIR) and arrested the perpetrators of a cruel and illegal horse-cart race which was organised on 14 February at Gorai beach during early morning hours, after receiving a complaint from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. The animal protection group learned about the incident after a video went viral on social media, which showed many men mercilessly whipping and beating horses continuously forcing them to run amidst the chaos of noisy motorcycles and the shouting riders.

After submitting a formal complaint to the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, PETA India worked closely with the Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone XI Mumbai, Vishal Thakur. The FIR includes the provisions of Section 11(1) which makes whipping and beating an animal and causing the animal unnecessary pain and suffering a punishable office. As per the latest report, some of the accused were arrested and were produced before a Magistrate court.

“PETA India commends the efforts of the Mumbai police for sending a clear message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated and for ensuring that, the 2015 direction of the Hon’ble High Court of Bombay which banned keeping and using horses for joy rides, ceremonies, processions and other purposes in the city is enforced” says PETA India Emergency Response Team Associate Manager Meet Ashar. “The mental trauma and the physical torture these malnourished and weak horses must have endured is hard to imagine”, stated in the press release.

PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” – in its letter to the Commissioner of Police pointed out that High Court of Bombay through its 2015 judgment ruled that none of the stables for horses in Mumbai used for joy rides and other purposes possesses a licence under Section 394 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888. The group also referred to 2016 Rajasthan High Court order which banned tonga races in the state of Rajasthan following a study report submitted by the Animal Welfare Board of India, which pointed out that cruelty to horses is inherent when they are forced to run amidst the chaos of vehicles and with spectators shouting– all of which the horses would find frightening and distressing, as happened during the illegal race at Gorai beach. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com