Target: Amit Shah, Union Home Minister, New Delhi, India
Goal: Amend the law to explicitly criminalize sexual offences against animals with mandatory jail plus fines, direct NCRB to track these crimes, and issue interim enforcement guidance so offenders cannot evade real punishment.
Disturbing clips circulate online. One video reportedly shows a man sexually assaulting a stray dog, shared widely amid rising outrage. Under earlier law, Section 377 of the IPC penalized sexual acts with animals. After July 1, 2024, the BNS contains no explicit offence that covers bestiality. Cases reported after that date default to Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which carries token fines for a first offence and at most three months’ jail for repeats. Such light consequences do not match the gravity of sexual violence against animals.
Parliamentary discussions and court observations have long recognized gaps. A committee reportedly recommended retaining a provision like Section 377 for non-consensual acts, minors, and animals. A prior PCA Amendment Bill proposed a new Section 11A to define bestiality as “gruesome cruelty,” yet penalties remained modest and not necessarily mandatory. Meanwhile, India lacks official statistics that separate bestiality from other offences. NCRB tables do not break out these incidents. Absence of a penal section plus missing data means cases slip through cracks, while cruelty persists out of sight.
Real deterrence needs clear offences, firm penalties, and transparent counting. Explicitly criminalizing sexual acts with animals in the BNS would restore a strong, modern, gender-neutral prohibition. Mandatory custody plus meaningful fines should be required on conviction. NCRB should introduce a distinct category so policymakers, police, and courts finally see true scale. Until Parliament acts, ministries can issue advisories urging use of available PCA provisions, stronger bail oppositions in egregious cases, and speedy veterinary-forensic protocols. This petition calls for swift legislative action, credible penalties, and national data that turns outrage into enforceable justice.
PETITION LETTER:
Home Minister Shah,
Reports and videos have highlighted sexual violence against animals, including a recent clip that appears to show a stray dog being assaulted. Before July 1, 2024, the IPC addressed sexual acts with animals. Under the BNS, no explicit offence now covers bestiality, so new cases fall back on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act’s Section 11, which provides only nominal fines for a first offence and at most brief custody for repeats. That gap invites impunity.
We respectfully urge you to introduce amendments that (1) explicitly criminalize sexual acts with animals in the BNS, framed in a modern, gender-neutral way, (2) require mandatory imprisonment plus fines on conviction, with higher penalties for aggravated factors such as recording, trafficking, or organized abuse, and (3) direct the NCRB to add a distinct category so these crimes are tracked nationwide. Please also coordinate interim advisories with states so police and prosecutors use every available tool under the PCA, seek stringent bail conditions, fast-track veterinary-forensic exams, and preserve digital evidence.
Clear law, real punishment, and official data will protect animals and communities while guiding humane, evidence-based enforcement. India can lead with a just, transparent remedy that ensures those who commit sexual violence against animals face serious legal consequences.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Chinmayee Mishra
