PANJIM: Goa Police has registered 46 cases and 88 persons were arrested for illegally organising bullfights across the State since 2018.
As per the affidavit filed by the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Director Dr Agostinho Misquita before the High Court of Bombay at Goa, from January 2018 till September 7, 2021, police stations from North Goa district registered 12 cases and arrested 27 persons, while police stations from South Goa district registered 34 cases and arrested 61 persons for organising bullfights in contravention of provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
The affidavit was filed in a contempt petition filed by the People for Animals, who had approached the court starting that the State authorities were allegedly turning a blind eye to the illegal activity of organising bullfights in the State.
The highest number of cases for organising
bullfights illegally has been registered by Colva Police Station.
Also during the same period, 415 notices under Section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) were issued against the bull owners and organisers. Of these 299 cases were issued to bull owners during 2020-2021.
In 2021, the Police Control Room, Margao at the South Goa district received 117 calls regarding organising of bullfights. The police managed to prevent four bullfights while, in seven cases offences were registered at the respective police stations. In the remaining 106 cases, upon verifying the location, no bullfights were found to be organised.
Police stations in South Goa district prevented nine bullfights in 2018; 13 bullfights in 2019; five bullfights in 2020 and four bullfights from January 2021 till September 7, 2021.
Similarly, in North Goa district, as many as 33 calls were received at the Police Control Room, Porvorim. The police prevented one bullfight and offences were registered in three cases. In remaining 29 cases, upon verifying the location, no bullfights were found to be organised.
The police station in North Goa district prevented one bullfight last year and one bullfight during the current year.
In the 15-page affidavit Misquita also stated that the government has now appointed Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPO) of Margao and Porvorim as nodal officers while, 12 police sub-inspectors in North Goa district and 14 PSIs in South Goa have also been appointed as in charge of Animal Cruelty.
In September last year the government notified the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animal in both the districts while, the State Animal Welfare Board has also been constituted under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
The matter has now been posted for further hearing on October 1.
