Kerala: Police, PETA Step In to Stop Rooster Sacrifice At Temple

After learning about the scheduled ritual, the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India approached the local police to prevent the sacrifice.

PETA India had worked with concerned officials to prevent the same sacrifice last year as well.

Source : Pixabay

The rooster sacrifice planned as part of an annual ritual at a village temple has been stopped in Kozhikode district on Monday. The animal sacrifice was stopped due to the reported timely intervention of the police and animal rights campaigners. Some local residents and the management of a temple in Kunnummakkara, near Chombala, in the northern district planned the ritual.

After learning about the scheduled ritual, the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India approached the local police to prevent the sacrifice, as per a report on PTI.

In response, the Edachery Police issued a notice to the temple, ensuring no animals or birds would be sacrificed, according to a PETA statement released on Monday. PETA India had worked with concerned officials to prevent the same sacrifice last year as well, the statement added.

“Just as human sacrifice is now recognized and condemned as murder, the outdated practice of animal sacrifice must also be abolished,” said Sinchana Subramanyan, Cruelty Response Coordinator at PETA India, as per a report on PTI.

In its complaint, PETA India also pointed out that killing roosters illegally by several individuals in furtherance of a common intention is a punishable offense under Section 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

Under Section 325 of the BNS, unlawfully killing roosters is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a fine, or both, the statement added.

Earlier, PETA called on the Centre to take measures to safeguard children from direct physical harm during jallikattu events.

In a memorandum addressed to Union Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi, PETA India Manager (Vegan and Corporate Projects) Kiran Ahuja also urged the government to shield children from exposure to violence against animals. This includes instances of animal sacrifice and scenarios where animals are exploited for 'entertainment,' such as in circuses and races.