Mumbai: The police crack down bullock cart races planned for weekends, during low tide at ‘Thal’ village in Raigad district. On receiving a complaint from an NGO, the police along with the district administration raided the place and rescued animals.

The Raigad police officials acted on a tip and conducted the raid. The Raigad superintendent of police, Anil Paraskar said, “We were informed about the bulllock cart race, locally known as Bailgada Shariyat. The NGO filed a complaint regarding the same and we raided the place. We rescued the animals and are interrogating the organisers, participants and jockeys (who drive the cart) of the race.”

In October, in response to a public interest litigation filed by Ajay Marathe, in which People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India had  filed an intervention application, the Bombay high court passed an order stating that it is bound by the observations and views of the 2014 Supreme Court judgment that banned bullock cart races across the country and stayed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Maharashtra Ame-ndment) Act, 2017, which aimed to allow bullock cart races in the state.

The high court pointed out that the apex court has categorically stated that bulls are anatomically unsuitable for racing.

“The Supreme Court has made clear that bullock cart races are illegal, and there’s no place in civilised society for whipping bulls and stabbing them with nails, as is common at such events, to force them to run,” said PETA India lead emergency response coordinator, Meet Ashar.