AP: Man 'Mistakenly' Slaughters Human Instead Of Goat During Animal Sacrifice Ritual

In a shocking incident, a youth was beheaded allegedly by mistake during a ritual where goat were supposed to be sacrificed at a village festival at Valasapalle hamlet near Madanapalle on Sunday. The incident occurred in Andhra Pradesh¡¯s Chittoor district during Sankranti celebrations.

What happened, and how?

Chalapathi, the accused, was supposed to carry out the animal sacrifice and cut the goat¡¯s head. According to the police, Chalapathi was inebriated at the time of the sacrifice and cut the throat of Suresh, 35, who was holding the animal. Suresh, who was bleeding profusely, was rushed to Madanpelle government hospital where he was declared dead.

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According to information, a huge gathering of villagers initiated ¡®Kondachuttu¡¯ (perambulation of a hillock) ritual on Sunday evening, which continued into midnight.

The congregation later reached the temple of a village goddess on the outskirts to conduct the ritual of animal sacrifice at the local Yellamma (patron goddess of Andhra Pradesh) temple. People in the village sacrifice the animals very year and offer them at the local Yellamma temple during Sankranti celebrations.

Police arrested the accused identified as Chalapati, who was drunk. A police officer said they were conducting further investigation.

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Is slaughtering animals legal in India?

Under Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, slaughtering animals in any unnecessarily cruel manner is a punishable offence. Section 11(3)(e) states that while killing an animal in an unnecessarily cruel manner is punishable under law, the killing of an animal to provide food for mankind will not be included within the definition of animal cruelty.

The legislation fails to include animal sacrifice within the ambit of punishable offences for animal cruelty. Section 28 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, states that the sacrificing of an animal according to the ritualistic manner mandated by religion or community is beyond the purview of animal cruelty.

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Further, the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana also prohibit animal sacrifice in any place of public religious worship or adoration or its precinct or in any congregation or procession connected with religious worship in a public street.

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