According to PETA, these horses were being mistreated and severely neglected, and some were found to be used in illegal carriage activities. The Bombay High Court (HC) had in 2015 deemed horse carriages, specifically ‘Victoria’ carriages, as illegal due to concerns about animal cruelty
Horses have been moved to two animal sanctuaries. PICS/SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA India) has taken the interim custody of 11 horses, which were rescued by the Mumbai police. The horses were rescued by the Gamdevi, Shivaji Park, and Sewri police last week in separate cases of neglect and illegal carriage riding following a lead from PETA.
According to PETA, these horses were being mistreated and severely neglected, and some were found to be used in illegal carriage activities. The Bombay High Court (HC) had in 2015 deemed horse carriages, specifically ‘Victoria’ carriages, as illegal due to concerns about animal cruelty. The HC had also declared the keeping of horses in the city illegal, citing the absence of licensed stables under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, 1888.
In recent court proceedings, the 5th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Court in Bhoiwada, the 40th Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Girgaon, and the 69th JMFC Court in Mazagaon granted PETA India the interim custody of the 11 rescued horses following petitions from the animal rights body after the FIR was filed in the case.
“PETA India is deeply grateful to the judicial magistrate for recognising the suffering these horses have endured and for directing their interim rehabilitation to two sanctuaries, where they will be cared for, not forced to pull carriages or endure abuse,” said Saloni Sakaria, PETA India's lead cruelty response coordinator. “Now the horses can begin to heal from their trauma and abuse,” she said.
The Mumbai police suspect that the horses found in deplorable conditions were being used for “joyrides” in horse-drawn carriages. Four of the 11 horses had succumbed to their abuse and passed away. During the judgment, the courts had also seen two custody applications filed by the accused owner of the horses, which the courts rejected. “If the courts had granted the accused custody of any of the horses, they would have been further abused; we are very happy that the courts rejected those applications,” said Sakaria.
The seven surviving horses have now been moved to two animal sanctuaries; five of them — Ranveer, Deepika, Dhoni, Bumrah, and Yuvraj — are at the Animal Rahat Sanctuary in Sangli. And the other two — Fortune and Cookie — are at the Kalote Animal Trust in Raigad. PETA has also petitioned the court that the accused owner should be bearing the costs and expenses of the horses, but they have not received a judgement on the same, and till the pendency of the trial, PETA India has the custody of all the horses.
Four
No of horses who passed away
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