Dozens of ‘Animals’ in Traditional Regional Attire Appeal for Stronger National Animal Protection Laws in Delhi
Dozens of supporters of PETA India wearing geometric animal masks of cows, chickens, crocodiles, dogs, cats, monkeys, and horses, among others—wearing traditional attire from states across India including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Meghalaya, and Gujarat—gathered at Ramlila Maidan on 27 August, and stood before a giant banner that read, “Animals Are Indians Too, We Deserve Stronger Protection Under Indian Law,” to request lawmakers to update a six-decade-old law, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960—and its pocket-change penalties—with real protection for animals. PETA India urges jail time, meaningful fines, mandatory counselling, and a ban on future contact with animals for animal abusers.
Recently, and for the first time, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) tracked cases of cruelty against animals in the country and compiled the data, noting registration of 9,039 cases and the arrest of 10,312 persons in 2024. Maharashtra recorded the highest number of such cases at 2,927, followed by Telangana with 1,890, Kerala with 1,510, Uttar Pradesh with 1,121, Karnataka with 320, Tamil Nadu with 259, and Gujarat with 181.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act was passed in 1960. Now over sixty-five years old, it is severely outdated, with the penalties it prescribes as low as Rs 10 and a maximum of only Rs 50 for a first offence. (The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, however, prescribe stronger punishments for cruelty to animals.)
Research shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals are often repeat offenders who move on to hurting other animals, including humans. A study published in Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal stated, “Those who engage in cruelty to animals were [three] times more likely to commit other crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, assault, harassment, threats, and drug/substance abuse.
