Bull race at Thonipadam: FIR registered

Kochi: Following a series of images that appeared on the Facebook page of The Times of India on Sept 8, depicting the kalapoottu bull race that took place at Thonipadam in Palakkad's Alathur, animal welfare NGO People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has lodged a complaint with the Palakkad police. An FIR has been registered against those accused of organising and participating in the illegal event.
The Alathur police registered an FIR on Saturday against three members of the bull race committee, along with one known and two unidentified persons, for using two pairs of bulls in the race.According to PETA, the FIR states that the accused conducted the bull race unlawfully, overexerted the bulls by forcing them to race, and subjected them to abuse, endangering both the animals and the spectators.
The FIR was registered under BNS sections 125 and 291, which address negligent conduct regarding animals and acts that endanger the life or personal safety of others, as well as Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act sections 3 and 11(1)(a), which criminalise whipping, beating, and inflicting of unnecessary pain and suffering on animals.
"The Supreme Court and the Kerala High Court have made clear that bull races are illegal, and there's no place in civilised society for whipping bulls and twisting and biting their tails, as is common at such events to force them to run," says PETA India cruelty response coordinator Virendra Singh. "We commend Alathur police station house officer Riyas Chakeri for promptly registering the FIR and sending a clear message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated," he said.
Bulls used for work already have a hard life without the additional torment of being forced to race. During races, terrified bulls run in an effort to escape pain. They're commonly yanked by their nose ropes to the starting line and hit with bare hands and weapons like nail-studded sticks, and their tailbones are often broken at the joint in an attempt to force them to run faster.