Assam Police Intervenes to Stop Illegal Buffalo Fights in Raha Following PETA Complaint

GUWAHATI: Following a complaint filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, supported by video evidence, the Raha Police in Nagaon registered a suo-motu First Information Report (FIR) in connection with illegal buffalo fights held on January 17 and 21.

Another buffalo fight was successfully stopped by police, who intervened after receiving a tip-off about the event. The Gauhati High Court had previously prohibited such fights in Assam on December 17, 2024, stating that they violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

The FIR was filed under multiple sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. This includes charges against those organizing the fights, which cause harm to the animals and pose a risk to human lives.

PETA India has also reported that several other illegal buffalo fights took place in the districts of Morigaon, Nagaon, and Sivasagar around the time of the Magh Bihu festival. The organization has urged the local police to investigate and register FIRs against the people involved in these events.

PETA India expressed gratitude to the Raha Police for taking action and stopping one of the fights. The group also urged the authorities in Morigaon, Nagaon, and Sivasagar to intensify their efforts to prevent such cruelty in the future.

In December 2024, the Gauhati High Court had ruled against an Assam government SOP that allowed buffalo and bulbul fights, stating these activities violated animal protection laws. PETA India’s investigations had revealed the extreme cruelty involved in these fights, including injured buffaloes and starved bulbuls being forced to fight.

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