Mass Sacrifice of Animals Prevented at Beerappa Temple Near Secunderabad Following PETA India Intervention
After receiving information from local activist Gayatri Sanguo that a mass sacrifice of animals was being planned as part of rituals at Beerappa Temple, Chengicherla, near Secunderabad on the evening of 26 April, PETA India swiftly intervened. Following the local complaint and PETA India’s intervention, Medipally police station officials held a meeting with the temple authorities and explained the prohibition on animal sacrifice in the state, due to which the sacrifice was prevented.
PETA India commends Secunderabad police, especially the Station House Officer of the Medipally Police Station, Ch. Shankaraiah for taking steps to ensure the illegal sacrifice did not take place.
In the complaint, PETA India pointed out that Section 3 of the Telangana Animals and Birds Sacrifices Prohibition Act, 1950, strictly prohibits sacrificing any animal in any place of public religious worship or adoration, or in its precincts, or in any congregation or procession connected with any religious worship in a public street. 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 serve, assist or participate in – sacrificing any animal in any place of public religious worship or adoration or its precincts or in any congregation or procession connected with any religious worship in a public street. Section 5 prohibits the use of a place of public religious worship or adoration or its precincts for sacrificing animals by any person in possession of such temple. Section 9 makes the contravention of Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Act a punishable and cognizable offence.
PETA India 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. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana prohibit it in any place of public religious worship, adoration, its precinct, or any congregation or procession connected with religious worship on a public street. All religions call for compassion, and choosing kindness over sacrifice is true worship of God’s creations.
