GUWAHATI: Following a complaint with video evidence from PETA India, Raha Police Station in Nagaon has registered a suo moto First Information Report (FIR) against individuals involved in organising buffalo fights held on January 17 and 21. These events were conducted despite a clear order from the Gauhati High Court on December 17, 2024, prohibiting such cruelty.
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The FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, recognizing the immense cruelty inflicted upon the buffaloes and the potential danger to human lives.
Speaking to GPlus, an official from Raha police station confirmed the incident.
PETA India has also filed complaints regarding other illegal buffalo fights held in various districts during the Magh Bihu festival.
Previously, the Gauhati High Court quashed the Assam government's SOP that had previously allowed buffalo and bulbul bird fights on December 17, 2024. This decision followed petitions filed by PETA India, which argued that these practices violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The court also deemed the SOP to be in contravention of a Supreme Court judgment from 2014.
PETA India's petition emphasized the unconstitutionality of these practices and their violation of fundamental principles of animal welfare and Indian cultural values like ahimsa (non-violence).