Colaba Police Register FIR Against Illegal Use of Horse Carriage Following PETA India Complaint.

After receiving photographs from a vigilant citizen of a horse-drawn carriage operating illegally, PETA India sprang into action. Acting on the organisation’s complaint, the Colaba police have registered a first information report (FIR) against the driver and possible owner, whose details were displayed on the back of the carriage. The operation of such carriages has been expressly prohibited by the Hon’ble Bombay High Court in its order dated 8 June 2015 in Animals and Birds Charitable Trust vs. MCGM and Others (PIL No. 36 of 2011). PETA India is an intervenor in the said case. The horse carriage was spotted being pulled on Madame Cama Road in Colaba.

The FIR was registered under Sections 3 and 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The police are currently working to locate the owner and the horse involved. Once found, the horse will be seized in accordance with the provisions of the law and the directions of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court in PIL 36 of 2011.

PETA India commends the efforts of the Colaba police station in implementing the directions of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court and sending a clear message that the illegal use of horse carriages will not be tolerated. We urge the Mumbai Police to act against any illegal use of horse carriages in the city, and also urge the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take swift action to prevent the keeping of horses in Mumbai in unlicensed stables.

In its complaint, PETA India highlighted that the Hon’ble Bombay High Court, in its judgment dated 8 June 2015, not only prohibited the use of horse-drawn Victoria carriages for rides within Mumbai but also declared the keeping of horses in the city illegal, citing the absence of licensed stables under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, 1888. As a result, the Court directed the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to shut down all such facilities and instructed the Mumbai Police to enforce the ban and take appropriate action against violators.

In July 2017, the High Court accepted the rehabilitation plan submitted by the Maharashtra government for horse-drawn carriage owners and drivers, allowing horses to be removed from Mumbai roads and drivers to receive a payment and/or a vendor licence, thus ensuring their livelihood. PETA India sent a letter in May 2018 urging the then Chief Secretary of Maharashtra to implement this plan immediately by ensuring that the BMC receives the necessary funds, as approved by the state government. Numerous horse carriage drivers also gradually switched to heritage-style motorised e-carriages.

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