19 bull pairs abused, 20 booked: Police launch probe over PETA complaint on illegal race event in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Twenty individuals have been booked for organising and participating in an illegal bull race, locally called maramadi, in Pallikkal, Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram Rural district, police said on Wednesday.

The action followed a complaint lodged by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.  

FIR registered under multiple sections

The case was registered at Pallikkal police station under Section 291 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Section 120(l) of the Kerala Police Act, 2011, and Sections 3 and 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960.

The FIR accuses 20 people of unlawfully conducting a race using 19 pairs of bulls, overexerting them, and subjecting them to abuse.

Warning ignored by organisers

Police said organisers had been warned not to proceed with the event after promotional posters appeared on WhatsApp groups. Despite the warning, videos later confirmed that the race took place.

“The Supreme Court and the Kerala High Court have already made it clear that bull races are illegal and inherently cruel,” said PETA India Emergency Response Coordinator Divya Chavan.

“We commend the Thiruvananthapuram rural police for promptly registering the FIR and sending a clear message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated.”

Cruelty in bull races

Animal welfare groups highlight that bulls in such races are often forced to run through cruel practices, including yanking their nose ropes, whipping, twisting tails, and even breaking tailbones to increase speed.

This is not the first case in Kerala. On September 8, 2024, Alathur police in Palakkad registered a suo motu FIR against organisers of another bullock cart race following a complaint by PETA India.

Earlier, in May 2022, a Palakkad court convicted several accused for holding a similar illegal race in Malampuzha in 2021.

The Kerala High Court, in a 2015 order, reaffirmed its adherence to the 2014 Supreme Court judgment banning bull races, noting that bulls are not anatomically suited for such events.

Police said further investigation is underway.