Target: Seemant Kumar Singh, IPS, Commissioner of Bengaluru City Police, India
Goal: Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law all individuals allegedly involved in the illegal ritual sacrifice of goats and chickens at a Bengaluru temple, and take immediate action to prevent future illegal animal sacrifices.
In a scene witnesses described as deeply disturbing, goats and chickens were allegedly slaughtered in broad daylight — their throats reportedly slit in full public view in front of a temple in Electronic City, Bengaluru — in what authorities have determined was a clear violation of multiple laws explicitly prohibiting such acts. Local activists who witnessed the alleged bloodshed called emergency services and alerted police in real time, yet officers purportedly failed to intervene and stop the killings as they occurred. Following this reported failure to act, PETA India joined local activists in filing a formal complaint, and a report has since been registered against those allegedly responsible. The animals involved had no means of escape from the fate allegedly imposed upon them in the name of ritual.
The report was registered under a serious and comprehensive body of law, including Section 3 of the Karnataka Prohibition of Animal Sacrifices Act, 1959, which strictly prohibits the sacrifice of animals in or near any place of public religious worship; Sections 3(5) and 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which treat the alleged group killing of animals with common intent as a punishable criminal offense and prescribe up to five years imprisonment for mischievously killing animals; and Sections 11(1)(a) and 11(1)(l) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Karnataka law also prohibits any person from officiating, assisting, or participating in such sacrifices, meaning all those allegedly present and involved are potentially liable. Despite this robust legal framework, the ritual reportedly proceeded without police intervention even after authorities were allegedly contacted.
The existence of laws is meaningless without enforcement. When police are called to the scene of a suspected illegal act and purportedly fail to stop it, and when individuals allegedly slaughter animals in public view in direct violation of multiple statutes, the justice system must respond with full force. Several Indian states have already recognized that animal sacrifice has no place in a modern legal framework — Karnataka is among them. The Bengaluru City Police Commissioner has both the authority and the obligation to ensure that all individuals allegedly involved in this incident are prosecuted and that measures are taken to prevent further illegal sacrifices. Sign this petition to demand action.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Commissioner Singh,
We are writing to urge your office to take swift, decisive, and comprehensive action in response to the illegal animal sacrifice that reportedly took place in broad daylight at Shri Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Electronic City, Bengaluru. According to evidence gathered by PETA India and local activists, goats and chickens had their throats slit in public view in direct violation of the Karnataka Prohibition of Animal Sacrifices Act, 1959, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. A report has been registered, but registration alone is not enough — we urge your office to ensure that all individuals allegedly involved face the full penalties prescribed under each applicable law.
We are particularly troubled by reports that local activists contacted emergency services and police while the alleged killings were actively taking place — and that officers purportedly failed to intervene to stop them. This reported inaction allowed the unlawful slaughter to continue unimpeded. We respectfully but firmly call on your office to investigate this purported failure as well, and to ensure that frontline officers are fully briefed on their obligations under Karnataka’s animal sacrifice prohibition laws so that future complaints result in immediate intervention.
We demand that all individuals allegedly involved in officiating, assisting, or participating in this purported ritual sacrifice be prosecuted to the maximum extent permitted under every applicable statute, including the possibility of imprisonment under Section 325 of the BNS. The animals who were allegedly killed could not protect themselves or call for justice — that responsibility now rests with your office. Please act decisively to ensure this never happens again.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: AjayDas
