Shivaji Park Police Register FIR and Seize Six Poorly Kept Horses, Following PETA India Complaint

After receiving a tip-off that two horses suspected of being used for carriage rides were injured and tied up without shade, food, or water, PETA India swung into action. Following PETA India’s complaint, officers from Shivaji Park police station visited the site. They, in fact, discovered six horses, illegally kept on the beach adjacent to the Hindu cremation ground at Chaityabhoomi Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Smarak. Two of the horses were visibly emaciated, with protruding ribs and backbones, and were suffering from multiple wounds and all were kept in dire condition.

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

Keeping horses in unlicensed stables and makeshift places is illegal, and using them for rides is cruel. Yet, horses like these are forced to suffer injuries, being malnourished and 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 BMC to take swift action to prevent the keeping of horses 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.