Hundreds of Chickens and Goats Spared from Sacrifice at Kaalika Devi Temple in Hosakote, Following PETA India Intervention
After being alerted to the inhumane practice of the mass sacrifice of hundreds of goats and chickens at the Kaalika Devi Temple in Hosakote across three days in the last week of April as a part of a ritualistic practice, PETA India swiftly intervened. Following PETA India’s complaint, the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD), Bengaluru Rural Police and District Administration prevented the scheduled sacrifices of reportedly 108 goats and 1008 chickens on 21, 22, and 26 April in Bhaktarahalli village. PETA India commends the Bengaluru Rural Police, the district administration, and the Animal Husbandry Department, particularly its Deputy Director, Dr Jagadish Kumar, for their swift intervention that saved hundreds of animals.
The AHD convened a meeting with temple authorities, including the head priest, the Panchayat officials, and the TC Halli Police, to sensitise the organisers about the illegality of animal sacrifice in the state.
In its complaint, PETA India pointed out that Section 3 of the Karnataka Prevention of Animal Sacrifices Act, 1959, strictly prohibits sacrificing animals in or in the precincts of any place of public religious worship or adoration or in a congregation or procession connected with religious worship. Section 4 prohibits any person from officiating or offering to officiate at – or perform or offer to perform, or serve, assist or participate in or offer to do so – an animal sacrifice in any place of public religious worship or its precincts. Section 5 prohibits the use of any place of public religious worship or adoration or its precincts for sacrificing animals by any person. Section 6 makes the contravention of Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Act a punishable offence.
The complaint also highlighted that killing animals illegally by several persons in furtherance of a common intention is a punishable offence under Section 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Under Section 325 of the BNS, mischievously killing animals is punishable with imprisonment for a term that may extend to five years, a fine, or both.
Gujarat, Kerala, Puducherry, and Rajasthan already have laws in place prohibiting the religious sacrifice of any animal in any temple or its precinct. In addition to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana prohibit it in any place of public religious worship, in its precincts, or in any congregation or procession connected with religious worship on a public street.
Just as human sacrifice is now recognised and condemned as murder, the outdated practice of cruelty to animals in the name of religion must also be abolished.
