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Polity & Governance
Mahesh

26/11/22 06:23 AM IST

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Bill, 2022

In News 
  • A draft Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Bill, 2022, prepared by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, has been opened for public comments.
Major amendments 
  • Essentially, the law is proposed to be made tighter, with more stringent punishments.
  • Several offences have been made cognizable, which means offenders can be arrested without an arrest warrant.
  • The draft Bill has proposed to include “Bestiality” as a crime under the new category of “Gruesome cruelty”.
  • The proposed law also says that “in case of a community animal, the local government such as municipality or panchayats shall be responsible for taking care of the community animals in a manner developed by the State Government or by the Board”.
  • The draft defines “community animal” as “any animal born in a community for which no ownership has been claimed by any individual or an organization, excluding wild animals as defined under the wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (53 of 1972).”
  • The draft proposes fines from Rs 50,000 – 75,000 or the cost of the animal, whichever is more, or with imprisonment of 1-3 years, or with both, for the offence of gruesome cruelty. It suggests a maximum of 5 years imprisonment for killing an animal.
Need for amending the law 
  • In September, a doctor in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur allegedly tied a dog to his car and dragged it across the city. The dog had a fractured leg and suffered bruises.
  • An offence such as this — fairly common in India — would currently attract charges under Section 428 (mischief by killing or maiming animal) IPC and Section 11 (treating animals cruelly) of The PCA Act, 1960.
  • First-time offenders under the PCA Act are punished with a fine of Rs 10-50.
  • If it is found that this is not the offender’s first such crime in the past three years, the maximum punishment would be a fine between Rs 25 and Rs 100, a jail term of three months, or both.
  • In short, the penalty is very light in the law as it exists now, and is incapable of acting as any deterrent for potential offenders.
Source- The Hindu 

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