Mumbai Police Register FIR For Illegal Ram Fighting Following PETA India Complaint
Acting on a complaint filed by PETA India, the Amboli Police Station has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against three individuals—Sajid Abdul Ali Sayyed, Saud Firdaus Master, and Imran Mohammad Ali Qureshi—for their alleged involvement in organising an illegal ram fight in the Jogeshwari area of Mumbai. The FIR was registered under Sections 291 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; Sections 11(1)(l), 11(1)(m) and 11(1)(n) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 and Section 119 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1959.
The complaint was filed after a video published by a news channel brought to light a staged ram-fighting event that reportedly took place in mid-February. According to the footage, two rams named “Rocky” and “Chamkila” were forced to fight for public entertainment, with a cash prize of ₹100,000 for the winning ram. During the fight, Rocky reportedly collapsed and died. A preliminary inquiry conducted by the Oshiwara Police Station, based on PETA India’s initial complaint, revealed that the incident occurred at a ground near Shagufa Apartment, Sahakar Road, Patilwadi, Jogeshwari West, Mumbai – 400102. The police are currently investigating the matter and making efforts to locate and seize the surviving ram.
Ram fighting involves pitting two male sheep against each other in a violent and often bloody confrontation. The animals are hit and goaded into fighting until one is deemed the winner. This practice subjects them to significant physical and psychological harm, including injuries such as fractures, puncture wounds, and severe stress.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 prohibits inciting animals to fight with each other. In a landmark judgment in 2014, the Supreme Court of India ruled in favour of the petitioners, PETA India, and the government advisory body, the Animal Welfare Board of India, establishing that bullfighting, dogfighting, and any other staged fights between animals, including between humans and other animals, for entertainment, must end.
