Mumbai: About 100 personnel from the Mumbai Government Railway Police (GRP) participated in an animal cruelty sensitisation workshop conducted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India). The workshop focused on combating cruelty to animals in the rail system and strengthening enforcement of animal protection laws.
Workshop Held At GRP Headquarters
The workshop was held on Friday at the Navrang Auditorium of GRP Headquarters in Ghatkopar and was attended by personnel ranging from constables to senior police inspectors. The workshop was organised as part of an initiative to recognise the importance of equipping GRP personnel with knowledge of animal protection laws and their role in preventing and responding to crimes against animals, especially animals who are trafficked and illegally transported via railways.
Birds Transported In Overcrowded Cages
The workshop followed a rescue operation involving hundreds of budgerigars, finches and cockatiels which were transported from Howrah to Mumbai in severely overcrowded cages aboard the Geetanjali Express in September. The Judicial Magistrate First Class 35th Court granted interim custody of the 282 birds to Kalote Animal Trust after an FIR was registered by the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) Railway Police Station, based on a complaint by PETA India.
Key Animal Protection Laws Covered
The workshop focused on practical aspects of preventing and responding to cruelty to animals and covered key provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and other relevant legal provisions. The session especially addressed the critical role of the police in detecting the illegal and cruel transport of animals through the railway network, rescuing and seizing animals in distress, preserving evidence, registering FIRs, conducting investigations, coordinating with veterinary and other government authorities and taking appropriate legal action in cases of cruelty to animals and wildlife offences.
PETA India’s Legal Advisor and Director of Cruelty Response, Meet Ashar, said, “Police play a crucial role in ensuring that cruelty to animals, wildlife trafficking and violence in society is addressed and prevented. PETA India is pleased to support the Mumbai Government Railway Police in applying animal protection laws and procedures to save animals’ lives and to protect them and society at large from smuggling and harm.”
Recently, for the first time, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) tracked cases of cruelty against animals in the country and compiled data, noting the registration of 9,039 cases and the arrest of 10,312 persons in 2024. 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.
This initiative is part of PETA India’s ongoing efforts to sensitise law enforcement personnel and empower animal rights activists across India to ensure that crimes against animals are addressed with the seriousness they deserve. Similar sensitisation workshops have previously been conducted with the police forces of various cities across the country, including Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar, Pune, Nagpur and others. The workshops have previously been conducted for the Border Security Force in Gwalior, Goa Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services officials and Andhra Pradesh State Forest Academy.
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