ONGOLE: Three people were arrested and 500 kg of donkey meat was seized during raids conducted at several places in Ongole district on Sunday. The Prakasam police and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) etc were part of the raids and rescued 36 donkeys.
According to the Ongole Taluk Circle Inspector (CI) V Srinivasa Rao, after receiving a complaint from the PETA, India and other local groups in Vijayawada, the police and all the other organisations that deal with Animal Cruelty conducted joint raids.
The accused have been booked under various sections of IPC, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act ,1960 and Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. He informed that they have rescued as many as 36 donkeys and 26 donkeys among them were rescued from a truck which was intercepted by the local volunteers and police on Sunday.
The rescued donkeys were moved to safety ahead of permanent rehabilitation. Further the joint action teams seized over 500 kg of donkey meat and discarded body parts including heads, legs and flesh at various including pillar no: 49 under the Ongole-Vijayawada flyover bridge, Mangamuru raod, Vaddivari Kunta area and under the Ongole-Koppolu flyover bridge area.
Animal Rescue Organisation (PETA-ARO) Gopal Surabathula and East Godavari based ‘Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Vijay Kishore Palika also took part in the operation. An FIR has been registered and the investigation is on.
The slaughtering of donkeys is punishable and has been increasing in recent times where Bapatla police with PETA and other local groups rescued 16 donkeys and seized over 100 kg of donkey meat just before a week.
Moreover, the Bapatla police also arrested 11 people in Chirala in connection with the illegal donkey meat trade.“According to a recent study, the donkey population in India has declined by 61 per cent in a seven years period.
In this connection, we commend the efforts of the Prakasam police led by SP Malika Garg, who have helped in sending a strong message that cruelty to donkeys will not be tolerated,” PETA India- Manager of Cruelty Response Projects Meet Ashar said.