Hyderabad: After learning that some residents of Veldanda mandal were planning to bury a live bull as a sacrificial ritual, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India worked with the Nagarkurnool superintendent of police and police inspector of the Veldanda police station to stop this from happening.
The animal rights organisation said that the ritual, supposed to take place at 2 a.m. on June 2, was allegedly going to be conducted to bring good luck to the village. PETA India was tipped off by a person whose house help was going to her native place near Nagarkurnool to attend the ritual.
“PETA India commends the Nagarkurnool police for taking steps to ensure the illegal sacrifice did not take place,” says PETA India Emergency Response Assistant Bhargeswar Doley.
“Just as human sacrifice is now treated as murder, at a time when India is moving towards manned space missions, the archaic practice of animal sacrifice must end. Today, many people engage in sacrifice much more productively by distributing wealth, clothing, or fruits and without harming animals.”
In its complaint, PETA India pointed out that Section 5(b) of the Telangana Animals and Birds Sacrifices Prohibition Act, 1950, clearly states that no person shall knowingly allow any sacrifice to be performed at any place that is in their possession or under their control. Section 4 prohibits anyone from officiating, performing, or participating in sacrificing an animal in any congregation. Section 8 makes all offences under the Act cognisable.
Through orders on two matters regarding the sacrifice and killing of animals for meat, the Supreme Court ruled that animals can be slaughtered only in officially licensed slaughter houses and that municipal authorities must ensure compliance with this ruling.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, and the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, permit the slaughter of animals for food only in licensed slaughter houses equipped with species-specific stunning equipment.
Gujarat, Kerala, Puducherry, and Rajasthan already have laws in place prohibiting the religious sacrifice of any animal in any temple or its precinct. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana prohibit it in any place of public religious worship or adoration or its precinct or in any congregation or procession connected with religious worship on a public street, PETA India stated.
