22 booked for organising illegal bullfight in Burhanpur

Indore: Burhanpur police on Monday booked 22 people for allegedly organising an unauthorised Hela Takkar (bullfight) in Nagjhiri.

Khaknar police station in-charge Abhishek Jadhav said that the bullfight event took place on Sunday at the empty dam in Nagjhiri. A police team reached the spot and attempted to persuade the organisers to stop the event. However, the organisers reportedly refused to comply. The police proceeded to record the event on video.

Jadhav said that animals were cruelly made to fight under the guise of a fair, which was a violation of the collector's orders. A case was registered against 22 persons, including six members of the organising committee and 16 bull owners, under relevant sections of BNS and section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act , 1960.

So far, police registered FIRs in over 10 such unauthorised events held at various locations across the district.

Unlike the rest of the Malwa-Nimar region, organising bullfighting in Burhanpur is common and despite efforts (banning it under the preventive sections of BNSS and lodging FIRs against the organisers) these activities continue.

According to collector Harsh Singh, apart from prohibiting such events of bullfighting, the administration has started approaching the cattle owners and organisers to make them aware of animal cruelty. "Their support has been sought to stop the same," he said.