Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar Police Commissionerate Invite PETA India to Conduct Workshop for Nearly 100 Officers to Combat Cruelty to Animals
Today, nearly 100 police officers from Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai Virar Police Commissionerate gathered at the Commissioner’s office to attend a workshop conducted by PETA India on combating cruelty to animals. This important initiative was made possible under the visionary leadership of Shri Madhukar Pandey, IPS, former Commissioner of the Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Police Commissionerate, who was recently transferred and is now serving as Additional Director General of Police (Administration) at the Maharashtra Police Headquarters, and Shri Niket Kaushik, IPS, the incumbent MBVV Police Commissioner. Dr. Narendra Gupta, a Thane-based animal rights activist and General Secretary of the Jesalpark Chaupati Kalyan Samiti, also supported the initiative.
Those in attendance of the three-hour workshop included police constables, head constables, assistant sub-inspectors, sub-inspectors, assistant police inspectors, and police inspectors from all 20 police stations. The session covered key provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960; the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended in 2022); the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; and other animal protection laws.
The role of police is vital in keeping animals safe. We commend Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Police for its goal of cracking down on cruelty to animals. PETA India is pleased to support them in this effort. MBVV Police taking a zero tolerance stand on cruelty to animals will protect animals and society at large.
This initiative is part of PETA India’s ongoing efforts to sensitize law enforcement personnel and empower animal rights activists across India to ensure that crimes against animals are addressed with the seriousness they deserve. Similar sensitization workshops have previously been conducted for Border Security Force officials in Gwalior (October 2024); the Chhattisgarh State Police (November 2024); the Goa State Police and Goa Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services officials (April 2025) along with North and South Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) inspectors and field officers; Pune City Police (April 2025), Nagpur City Police (May 2025); Belagavi and Hubli–Dharwad State Police, and Belagavi City Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services officials, along with local animal rescuers/volunteers (June 2025) and Sikkim Police, Animal Husbandry Department officials and local animal rescuers/volunteers (July 2025).
In 2021, the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations released a report revealing that in the decade prior, nearly 500,000 animals were victims of crimes.
PETA India notes that many violent criminals have a documented history of cruelty to animals. A study published in Forensic Research and Criminology International Journal warns, “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.”
