Sewri Police Station Register FIR and Seizes Four Poorly Kept Horses in Failing Health, Following PETA India Complaint

After receiving a tip-off about a horse suspected to be used for carriage rides collapsing near the toll naka on Bombay Port Trust Road under the Eastern Freeway in Sewri, PETA India promptly intervened. Approximately an hour later, the same horse was found tied near the railway tracks in the vicinity, hidden without access to shade, food, or water. Following PETA India’s complaint, officers from the Sewri police station visited the site. They discovered one horse and three ponies illegally kept adjacent to the railway tracks along the Bombay Port Trust Road. All animals were visibly emaciated, with protruding ribs and backbones, in failing health. Some were suffering from multiple wounds, and all were kept in dire condition.

The Sewri police station registered a first information report (FIR) against the animals’ custodian under Sections 3 and 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. All four horses were transported to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) cattle pound in Malad for medical examination, veterinary care, and safekeeping pending a court decision on their interim custody.

Tragically, just a day after their rescue, one horse succumbed to critical condition at the pound. A post-mortem was conducted by a government veterinarian upon police request. PETA India has filed a petition before the Bhoiwada court seeking interim custody of the surviving ponies to ensure their continued care and protection.

We commend the efforts of Sewri police station, especially Senior Police Inspector Shri Rohit Khot, for taking swift action and sending a clear message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated. Keeping horses and ponies in unlicensed stables and makeshift places is illegal, and using them for rides is cruel, yet horses and ponies like these are forced to suffer injuries, malnourishment and being tied in filthy surroundings without adequate shelter. PETA India urges the Mumbai Police to act against any illegal use of horse carriages in the city and urges the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take swift action to prevent the keeping of horses and ponies in Mumbai in unlicensed stables.

In its complaint, PETA India highlighted that the Hon’ble Bombay High Court, in its order dated 8 June 2015 in Animals and Birds Charitable Trust vs. MCGM and Others (PIL No. 36 of 2011),  prohibited the use of horse-drawn Victoria carriages for rides within Mumbai and declared the keeping of horses in the city illegal, citing the absence of licensed stables under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, 1888. As a result, the Court directed the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to shut down all such facilities and instructed the Mumbai Police to enforce the ban and take appropriate action against violators.

In July 2017, the High Court accepted the rehabilitation plan submitted by the Maharashtra government for horse-drawn carriage owners and drivers, allowing horses to be removed from Mumbai roads and drivers to receive a payment and/or a vendor licence, thus ensuring their livelihood. PETA India sent a letter in May 2018 urging the then Chief Secretary of Maharashtra to implement this plan immediately by ensuring that the BMC receives the necessary funds approved by the state government. Numerous horse carriage drivers also gradually switched to heritage-style motorised e-carriages.