Police Halt Illegal Ram Fights and Bullock Cart Races Across North Karnataka Following PETA Alert

Belagavi: Authorities in Belagavi, Dharwad, and Bagalkote districts successfully thwarted a series of illegal ram fights and bullock cart races scheduled to take place earlier this month, following timely intervention by animal rights group PETA India.

Acting on tip-offs received about events planned in multiple villages across the three districts, PETA India alerted senior police officials, prompting swift action to prevent the cruel and unlawful spectacles. The events, which had been lined up between 29 March and 16 April, included ram fights in locations such as Kanabargi, Gokak, Belawadi, Hukkeri, Shiragaon, and Badasa in Belagavi, as well as in Kalaghatagi (Dharwad) and Rabakavi Bennatti (Bagalkote). Bullock cart races were also planned in Muchandi, Khairwad, and Gokak.

Thanks to police intervention, none of the events were held. Notices were issued under Section 168 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, to event organisers by police stations in Dodawada, Kalaghatagi, Nandagad, and Hirebagewadi to prevent any recurrence of such unlawful activities.

“Spectacles in which animals are forced to fight or race are cruel, violent, and illegal,” said Sinchana Subramanyan, Cruelty Response Coordinator, PETA India. “Ram fights and bullock cart races inflict enormous suffering on animals, including physical injuries and psychological trauma.”

PETA India expressed appreciation for the efforts of district police, particularly Belagavi SP Dr. Bheemashankar S Guled (IPS), Belagavi Commissioner of Police Sri Iada Martin Marbaniang (IPS), Bagalkote SP Sri Amarnath Reddy (IPS), and Dharwad SP Shri Lokesh Jagalasar (IPS), for acting promptly to enforce animal welfare laws.

Ram fighting typically involves pitting two male sheep against one another in bloody confrontations, often resulting in fractures and puncture wounds. Bullock cart races, on the other hand, push the animals to extreme physical limits, with instances of whipping and the use of sharp implements commonly reported—acts that are in direct violation of animal protection laws.

Under Indian law, causing unnecessary pain and suffering to animals is punishable, and events that exploit animals for entertainment have repeatedly been deemed unlawful by courts and authorities.