Hundreds of Goats and Sheep Spared from Sacrifice at Yellamma Devi–Beerappa Bandara Jatra in Yadgir, Following PETA India Intervention
After being alerted to the inhumane practice of the mass sacrifice of hundreds of goats and sheep during the annual Yellamma Devi and Beerappa Bandara Jatra festival in Yadgir, PETA India swiftly intervened. Following our complaint, the Yadgir Police and District Administration prevented the scheduled sacrifices on 10, 12, and 13 April in Duppalli village.
The Saidapur Police Station convened a meeting with temple authorities, the Panchayat Development Officer (PDO), and officials from the Animal Husbandry Department to sensitise villagers about the illegality of animal sacrifice in the state. Authorities also issued a notice under Section 168 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to prevent the commission of a cognizable offence, namely, the sacrifice of animals. We particularly thank the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Sri Suresh. M for his swift intervention that saved hundreds of animals and ensured the issuance of a Section 168 BNSS notice.
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.
