Horse-cart racer arrested in Mumbai

Mumbai police arrest individual for involvement in illegal horse-cart race along Western Express Highway following complaint by PETA India.

Mumbai: The Vile Parle police have arrested an individual involved in an illegal horse-cart race held on May 13 along the Western Express Highway, spanning the Vile Parle to Kherwadi route. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered based on a complaint by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.

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Senior police officials confirmed the involvement of PETA after a whistleblower shared a video showing several men cruelly whipping and beating horses, forcing them to run amidst the chaos of noisy motorcycles and shouting riders. Following the submission of a formal complaint, FIR was lodged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Specifically, Sections 34, 279, 289, and 336 of the IPC address acts done by several persons with common intention, rash driving, negligent conduct with respect to animals, and endangering life or personal safety, respectively. Additionally, Sections 11(1)(a) and 11(1)(d) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, pertain to treating animals cruelly and conveying or carrying animals in a cruel manner. Four horses have been seized as part of the investigation.

Sunayana Basu, PETA India’s cruelty response coordinator, stated, “The Mumbai police have sent a clear message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated. The mental trauma and physical torture these malnourished and weak horses must have endured is hard to imagine.”

PETA India referenced a 2016 Rajasthan High Court order banning tonga races in Rajasthan, based on a report by the Animal Welfare Board of India. The report highlighted the inherent cruelty of forcing horses to race on roads amidst traffic, conditions that are both frightening and distressing for the animals.

The FIR detailed that police officers reviewed videos submitted by PETA. The footage showed two horse riders racing carts amidst traffic, creating a dangerous situation for both the horses and motorists. The video also depicted the riders hitting the horses with canes to make them run faster.

The accused, identified as Linol Praiyers, uploaded the video of the race on his Facebook status and was one of the riders. “We have arrested the accused and are working to identify the remaining occupants of the carts involved in the race,” said a police officer from the Vile Parle police station.