HYDERABAD: A disturbing episode of animal sacrifice has surfaced from Jagtial district where around 50 goat shave been killed in an inhumane manner. Videos recorded by animal rights activists show men killing the goats by biting them on the throat to make them bleed as part of the sacrifice. The sacrifices took place on Tuesday, the final day of the three-day Bheemanna Jatara held at the Bheemeswara Temple in Raikal. Based on a complaint, Raikal police registered an FIR against the organisers under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to mischief by killing or maiming animals, Section 6 of the Telangana Animals and Birds Sacrifices Prohibition Act, 1950, prescribing penalties for violatingthe ban on animal sacrifices, and Section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, relatingto the killing or poisoning ofanimals by multiple persons.“We registered a case and started investigation,” confirmed Chitneni Sudheer Rao, sub-inspector, Raikal police station. Locals claimed that between 50 and 70 goats were sacrificed as part of the ritualknown as ‘gavu pattadam’, inwhich animals are killed bybiting. Videos of the ritual accessed by TOI show men carrying out the ritual with in the temple premises, even as some local policemen are seen in the crowd, trying to ensure things don’t go out of hand.“Gavu pattadam is amongthe cruellest methods of killing animals, as they are bitten while alive and left todie,” said activist and complainant, Adulapuram Goutham, claiming how despiteanimal and bird sacrifices being illegal in Telangana, theycontinue at many temples.Nobody, including police personnel, present at the Bheemanna jatara venue, tried to stop the sacrifices, Goutham alleged. Raikal police, however, said that they were present at the venue only for bandobast and did not witness any sacrifices.‘Commonplace’Organisers, however, admitted to animal sacrifices at local village jataras being commonplace.They also insisted this was a traditiongoing back many generations. “Locals believe theirwishes will be fulfilled if goats are sacrificed like this,” said Devuni Lingaiah, the temple pujari and one of the organisers.Another dev out shared how some jataras witnesslakhs of animals being sacrificed during the event.“We don’t consider these sacrifices inhumane.This ispart of our tradition,” saidRajesh, a local, adding howthis local jatara in particular is held during the JanFeb period in accordancewith the customs of peoplefrom various castes andcommunities.Huge turnoutIncidentally, despite a law against sacrifices, at least seven such cases have been reported across Telangana in the last six months or so from Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Siddipet, Nizamabad and Adilabad, allegedactivists.Close to 100 animals were allegedly sacrificed in such rituals, they alleged. About 10,000 people from various parts of Telangana and outside the state attended the Jagtial festivities that started on Feb 1.
