A Step In Right Direction! Punishment For Animal Cruelty To Be Increased To 5 Years Jail, Fine

From dogs to cats, horses and even elephants there is no limit to the cruelty that we have inflicted on animals.

One of the reasons for people, at least in India, committing such acts is because of how lenient the punishments are.

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Proposal to amend Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act

But it is set to change soon, as the government is proposing to amend the 60-year-old Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act to make the punishments more stringent.

On Friday, in a written response to a Parliament question in Rajya Sabha, minister of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying Giriraj Singh said, "The need for amending the PCA, 1960, by introducing more stringent penalties has been recognised by the government. The draft amendment worked out includes increasing monetary penalties and punishment provisions."

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Earlier, on Tuesday, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Sanjeev Kumar Balyan informed Parliament that the government is examining several representations received on raising the penalty for animal cruelty from the existing Rs 50 for such an offence.

From Rs 50 to up to Rs 75,000 fine

The Rs 50 penalty was for any acts of animal cruelty including beating, kicking, torturing, starving, overloading, overriding and mutilating an animal.

According to The Times of India, the draft has proposed offences in three categories - minor injury, major injury leading to permanent disability, and death to an animal due to cruel practice. The prescribed penalties would range from Rs 750 to Rs 75000 and a jail term of up to five years.

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Over the past few years, animal rights groups have been calling for the revision of the laws to make the punishments more severe.

They argue that those inflicting cruelty to animals are doing so as they know they can get away with a small fine and only stricter punishments will make them rethink.