The Vile Parle police on Saturday seized four horses and arrested a man for allegedly organising a cruel and illegal horse-cart race on the Western Express Highway from Vile Parle to Kherwadi on May 13.
A city-based animal protection organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a complaint on May 13, and on June 6, the police registered an FIR.
According to the FIR, the accused, Lionel Pyars, uploaded videos on social media showing men whipping and beating horses, forcing them to run among noisy motorcycles and shouting riders. This dangerous event also put others lives at risk who were travelling on the same route.
Subsequently, the police registered an FIR against Lionel Pyars under sections 34 (common intention), 279 (rash driving), 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animals), and 336 (act endangering life) of the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
“PETA India commends the efforts of the Mumbai police for sending a clear message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated,” said Sunayana Basu, PETA India's cruelty response coordinator. “The mental trauma and physical torture these malnourished and weak horses must have endured is hard to imagine.”
According to PETA, the cruelty to horses is inherent when they are forced to run on roads amidst traffic – conditions that are frightening and distressing for horses, as seen during the illegal race on the Western Express Highway.
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