Mumbai Sees Rise In Sexual Assault Cases Against Stray Dogs, Activists Flag Legal Void | Representative Pic
Mumbai: Mumbai has witnessed a rise in reported cases of sexual assault against stray dogs over the past month, triggering alarm among animal welfare activists and exposing what they describe as a “legal black hole” following the removal of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). While police have booked the accused in two recent cases, activists argue that existing legal provisions are grossly inadequate to address sexual violence against animals.
On January 18, a 20-yearold man, Vikas Paswan, was allegedly caught red-handed by a local animal feeder and residents while sexually abusing a two-month-old puppy inside a public toilet at Narayan Shukla Chawl in Malad’s Kurar village. In another incident on February 1, a 40-year-old man, Sanjay Gaud, was allegedly nabbed while sexually abusing a female dog inside a drain in Kandivali (E)’s Lokhandwala Township.
In both cases, police booked the accused under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act. Activists point out that Section 325 only deals with mischief involving killing, poisoning or maiming animals, while the PCA Act prescribes a penalty as low as Rs50 for first-time offenders, a figure often mocked as a “license to kill.” Local animal shelters and veterinary clinics report an uptick in stray dogs brought in with severe internal injuries consistent with sexual trauma.
Rescuers say they are increasingly frustrated by the absence of a clear legal provision to prosecute such crimes. For decades, Section 377 served as the primary statute to prosecute “carnal intercourse against the order of nature,” including sexual abuse of animals. While the Supreme Court’s decriminalisation of consensual samesex relations was widely welcomed, the subsequent overhaul of criminal laws saw Section 377 removed entirely, without a replacement provision addressing bestiality.
“Section 377 explicitly criminalised sexual acts against animals. With its omission in the new BNS, India currently has no specific penal provision to address sexual violence against animals,” said Xavier Santiago, an animal welfare activist. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, the organisation has received over 40 complaints of sexual assault on animals since the BNS came into force in July 2024. “Victims include cows, dogs, goats and horses. The rise shows an alarming trend and the urgent need for legislative intervention,” said PETA India’s director of cruelty response, Meet Ashar.
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