Humanity has a new definition: bestiality. Crimes against animals have hit terrible new lows in India
Next time you are horrified about somebody’s appalling behaviour, think twice before saying: "He/she behaved worse than an animal." Because "worse than an animal" has become the behavioural norm for humans — at least, some humans.
Lately, the number of cases of animals being raped is horrifying, even to those souls that are fairly desensitized now to animals being beaten up and physically harmed for brutal sport.
One of the two cases of animals being raped in Delhi-NCR registered last year reportedly has shown a suspect from Ghaziabad — where a bitch was recovered dead from a road after being allegedly tied to a moving bike and dragged along the road. India Today TV has reported that it has an exclusive copy of the FIR in which Sourabh Gupta — the complainant officer or the raiding officer of the People for Animals (PFA) India — has noted that it was an attempt to rape the dog, and has alleged that there were bruises near the vaginal area of the bitch. Sahibabad Circle Officer Dr Rakesh Mishra has reportedly said, "We are investigating the case and the 'rape angle' cannot be ruled out. It will be clear after we receive the postmortem report which is still pending."
For those who have been living under a rock and think this was an isolated incident, here are some episodes that have left us sick, disgusted — and ashamed to be called humans.
On July 29, 2018, a pregnant goat was reportedly gang-raped by eight men in Haryana. The goat that went missing was later found dead by the owner. It was allegedly stolen, thrashed and raped by the accused. It succumbed to the trauma and died. Reportedly, one of the accused met the owner of the goat and admitted that he had raped her and even said that he had a nice time.
If you found that sickening, what would you say to the man who raped a baby girl — not of a human, but of a dog?
In August 2017, a 34-year-old man was accused of raping a female puppy to death in Delhi. The puppy later bled to death. Not only did the accused — Naresh Kumar — boast about the incident to an animal lover, he also led him to the carcass. A post-mortem report confirmed rape and death due to excessive bleeding from private parts as well as shock. The police reportedly refused to register a case initially. When the locals mounted pressure, a case was registered against maiming and killing the puppy — not against bestiality which comes under section 377 of the IPC.
Holy cows in the Prime Minister’s home state are not spared either.
In January 2018, a man who worked as a labourer at a cowshed in Vadodara allegedly raped three cows. Later in the morning, the owner found that legs of three cows were tied with rope and one was lying dead. Of course, the cows garnered more sympathy from the locals than cases of the dogs, or perhaps even the goat did. Locals claimed that their religious sentiments were hurt, and predictably, a case was registered against the accused under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code that addresses acts intended to outrage religious feelings — a far more arduous section under the penal code than the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
While these cases of utmost brutality are on the rise, there is an acute dearth of laws to protect animals from cases of sexual abuse — giving the depraved and psychopaths the conviction to get away from the law. Right from stage one, there is apathy in filing FIRs. Gaurav Gupta, a member of a wildlife NGO, has reportedly alleged that the Delhi Police ignore such incidents and do not register many such cases. However, a Delhi High Court order in December 2017 mandates that cases of cruelty against animals have to be registered — but who cares and bothers to check?
The animals, after all, cannot understand the court’s orders and speak up for their rights.
Even is the case is registered, the question arises of what section of the Indian Penal Code should it be registered under? While the Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Act, 1960 (PCA) deals with the cognizance of a host of possibilities of treating animals cruelly, including maiming, injuring, killing, practising phooka (the forceful blowing of air into a cow's vagina or anus to induce it to produce more milk), experiments on animals, restricting exhibition and training of performing animals, human perversion seems to be rising beyond its present purview.
The maximum punishment under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960 is a fine of Rs 50 rupees or imprisonment of up to three months or both.
The Supreme Court delivered a historic verdict in September last year, and decriminalised homosexuality. However, the section that criminalized homosexuality has an important aspect of it.
Bestiality (sexual intercourse between a person and an animal) is a crime under section 377 of the IPC.
The apex court had upheld that the law will stand on the statute book to deal with unnatural sexual offences against animals such as bestiality. But most people — including the police — are not aware of this.
Furthermore, the section does not address the extreme cruelty meted out against the animals, but only criminalises the penetrative sexual intercourse with an animal. Activists have been urging the government to amend the PCA and include bestiality as a cognisable offence in the light of the latest depravity.
The government, so far, has maintained silence on it.
If the human urge to rape cannot be controlled, it is time we consider tying humans up, rather than animals.
Also read: 8 men rape pregnant goat in Haryana: Is it time we pack men off to Mars?