Illegal Bullock Cart Race Prevented Following PETA India Complaint in Dhar
After receiving a poster showing a scheduled bullock cart racing event at Dharampuri in Dhar, PETA India filed a complaint with the Dharampuri Police Station to prevent the event. On 21 January 2026, following police intervention, the organisers cancelled the racing event scheduled for 22 January 2026.
Bullock cart racing subjects animals to extreme physical strain and distress. Participants force bullocks to run at unnatural speeds while being hit with bear hands and weapons, leading to exhaustion and even life-threatening injuries. Racing also poses significant threats to humans who can get in the way of running bulls.
Bullocks already face significant hardships when made to work, and forcing them to endure being beaten and to race is despicable as well as illegal. PETA India commends the Dhar Police, particularly Shri Santosh Yadav, Thana Incharge, Dharampuri Police Station, for their timely intervention in preventing the event and protecting the bulls from suffering and exploitation.
In its complaint, PETA India pointed out that such races are prohibited under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. Additionally, such races violate multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
The PCA Act, 1960, also specifically criminalises inciting animals to fight with other animals. In the landmark judgment of In Animal Welfare Board of India vs A Nagaraja & Ors (Civil Appeal No 5387/2014) of 7 May 2014, the Hon’ble Supreme Court clarified that activities such as animal racing fall within the purview of animal fights, as they involve forcing animals into competitive and harmful situations, akin to incitement to fight.
