Victory: Illegal Horse-Cart Races in Nashik Prevented Following PETA India Complaint 

For Immediate Release:

06 February 2025

Contact:

Meet Ashar; [email protected]

Hiraj Laljani; [email protected]

Nashik—Upon receiving information about an illegal horse-cart race scheduled for 30 January in Pimpalkhute, Yeola, Nashik, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India promptly took action in collaboration with local activist Anil Katariya. By notifying and working closely with Malegaon police, the organisation successfully prevented the event from taking place.

“Horse and horse cart races are cruel as they force animals to endure extreme physical strain, often causing injury, exhaustion, and even death,” says Sunayana Basu, Cruelty Response Coordinator at PETA India. “These animals already have a hard life without being forced to endure the additional torment of being beaten and compelled to race. We commend Malegaon Police, particularly Shri Aniket Bharati, IPS, Additional Superintendent of Police, Malegaon; Shri Bajirao Mahajan, Sub-Division Police Officer, Manmad; and Shri Sandip Mandalik, Police Inspector, Yeola Taluka Police Station, for upholding the law and protecting the horses from abuse.”

Horses used for racing are forced to sprint – through whippings and weapons – at speeds so fast they frequently sustain injuries and can even haemorrhage from the lungs. In 2016, the Rajasthan High Court prohibited tonga races in Rajasthan after reviewing a report from the Animal Welfare Board of India. The report highlighted that horses suffer from cruelty when they are compelled to run amid noisy vehicles and loud spectators, causing them fear and distress.

PETA India – whose motto reads, “animals are not ours to use for entertainment” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow the group on X , Facebook, or Instagram.

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