FIR registered over alleged animal sacrifice at Bengaluru temple after PETA India intervention

Bengaluru

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered by the Parappana Agrahara Police Station following alleged illegal animal sacrifice at the Shri Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Electronic City, after intervention by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) and local activists.

The case stems from reports that goats and chickens were allegedly slaughtered in broad daylight as part of a ritual within the temple premises. According to PETA India, activists Bindu Ravihal and Vamsi Krishna documented the incident, capturing visuals of animals having their throats slit in what they described as “bloody scenes” unfolding in public view. The activists immediately alerted emergency services by dialling 112 and also informed the local police station. However, they alleged that authorities failed to intervene promptly to halt the ongoing sacrifice.

Subsequently, a formal complaint was filed, prompting the police to register an FIR. The FIR invokes multiple legal provisions, including Section 3 of the Karnataka Prohibition of Animal Sacrifices Act, 1959, which explicitly bans animal sacrifice within the precincts of places of public religious worship or during associated congregations and processions. Additional charges have been filed under Sections 3(5) and 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, as well as Sections 11(1)(a) and 11(1)(l) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

Legal provisions cited in the complaint underline the seriousness of the alleged offence. Section 4 of the 1959 Act prohibits participation or assistance in such sacrifices, while Section 5 bars the use of religious premises for the act. Violations under these sections are punishable under Section 6. The BNS provisions further classify the coordinated killing of animals as a punishable offence, with Section 325 prescribing imprisonment of up to five years, a fine, or both for acts involving the killing of animals.

Responding to the development, Sinchana Subramanyan, Senior Cruelty Response Coordinator at PETA India, called for stringent enforcement. She urged the Bengaluru City Police and district administration to take decisive action to prevent further incidents, arguing that animal sacrifice is an outdated practice that must be eradicated.

The incident has once again drawn attention to the patchwork of legal frameworks governing animal sacrifice across India. While states such as Gujarat, Kerala, Puducherry, and Rajasthan impose blanket prohibitions on animal sacrifice in temples and their precincts, Karnataka, along with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, restricts such practices specifically within public places of religious worship and related gatherings.