Animal cruelty laws hardly a deterrent to offenders

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

In a ghastly incident, a stray dog, about 14 years old, was run over by a car in Indiranagar last Tuesday. Fondly called Brownie, the stray was killed after a driver of a Honda City car knocked it down at Indiranagar second cross, Sneha Nandihal, a local resident, reported.

The Bengaluru police have arrested the accused, Amul Raj, a cab driver and a resident of Jakkur for allegedly deliberately crushing Brownie. The arrest took place based on a CCTV footage captured of the incident, after Sneha lodged a complaint in the regard.

Amul was returning home after visiting his relative in Indiranagar, when he noticed Brownie sleeping by the roadside and ran over it, police said. Brownie died immediately after the incident. Residents claim that the dog was away from the road and the accused deliberately drove over it.

However, the accused has maintained that he did not notice the dog sleeping and inadvertently ran his vehicle. But the CCTV footage contradicted his version. Animal rights activists claim that people carry out such cruel acts with impunity because they can get away with a light punishment.

Currently, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act levies a maximum penalty of mere Rs 50. The government has prepared a draft to amend the 60-year-old Act and raise the penalty of up to Rs 75,000 or three times the cost of the animal with the jail term up to five years or both if an act of an individual or organisation leads to an animal’s death.

However, the amendment is yet to see the light of the day due to delays caused by the pandemic. “Even though the amendment has not been finalised, the judge won’t let go of the culprit with a meagre Rs 50 fine. They will have to consider the severity of the case and take extreme measures,” said Arun Prasad, an animal rights activist.

If the amendment comes into place, it will act as a deterrent since citizens won’t take the lives of animals for granted, he added. The existing law stipulates a penalty between Rs 10 and Rs 50 for any act of cruelty such as beating, kicking, torturing, starving, overloading, overriding and mutilating an animal. It doesn’t have different categories of offences for cruelty and the animal in the act is defined as any living creature other than a human being.

“It is the mentality of certain people. With the assumption that they are voiceless creatures and cannot complain, such cruelties take place. But with the advantages of awareness that are brought about by social media and citizens taking up responsibilities, such incidents can be brought to a halt,” Arun said.

Animal activists plan to urge the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to take up animal welfare issues into consideration while giving away driving licences. “The riders must be told to take note of the rights of the animals living on public roads before they are provided with licence,” he concluded.