People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) partnered with the Kurseong Police Station and the guardian of the deceased puppy, who also happens to be the resort owner, after learning of a violent incident in which a puppy was allegedly beaten and stamped to death by a couple who worked at a resort in Kurseong, Darjeeling. This allowed PETA India to ensure that a first information report, or FIR, was filed under the applicable strict sections of the law.

The incident took place at the Kiran Riverside Retreat in Jogighat, Sittong, on September 9. The accused pair was lately the subject of a formal complaint filed under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The accused are suspected of stealing money from the resort, killing the puppy, and fleeing. Authorities are searching for the fugitive suspect. Any animal that is maimed or killed is considered a cognisable offence under Section 325 of the BNS, 2023, which also stipulates that the offender faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine, or both.

“People who mistreat animals frequently go on to hurt people. The public must report animal abuse like this to the authorities for everyone’s protection. We applaud Kurseong Police Station for filing the FIR and making it abundantly evident that animal abuse will not be accepted,” said PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator Ishani Rathee.

Since mistreating animals is a sign of a serious psychological disorder, PETA India advises that those who engage in animal abuse get counseling and a psychiatric evaluation. Animal abusers are frequently repeat offenders who go on to harm other creatures, including people, according to research.

“Those who engage in animal cruelty were [three] times more likely to commit other crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, assault, harassment, threats, and drug/substance abuse,” according to a study published in the Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal.

Priyanka Dutta