Buffalo fight held in Deolai area
The event was allegedly held on Aug 9 at an open ground in Hari Om Nagar, near Himalaya Public School off Beed Bypass Road. A suo motu FIR was registered on Aug 24 under BNS sections related to animal cruelty, negligent handling of animals and acts endangering human life, along with provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act. “The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, prohibits inciting animals to fight with each other. In a landmark judgement in 2014, the Supreme Court of India ruled… that bullfighting, dogfighting and any other staged fights between animals for entertainment must end,” Raje said.
Based on video footage and information gathered during the probe, police said the accused brought two buffaloes face to face, beat and provoked them into fighting before a large crowd. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) India said its volunteers alerted local police after learning about the event and submitted a detailed complaint seeking action. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar : Police have registered a case against four men and several unidentified people for allegedly organising an illegal buffalo fight in Deolai area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, following complaints by animal rights activists who accused the organisers of subjecting the animals to cruelty for entertainment and betting. “The act was done knowing that it would cause severe pain and suffering to the animals. A large crowd had gathered without any safety measures or barricades, creating a serious threat to the lives of people, including children, and causing public nuisance,” constable Dipak Deshmukh stated in his complaint. Police alleged that the organisers publicised the event through digital posters circulated on social media and conducted the fight for betting and entertainment. Peta India also complimented Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar superintendent of police Prakash Jadhav for directing the registration of the suo motu FIR.