Monday, September 21, 2009 . Page 24 (Back Page)
After actress Hema Malni’s letter to the Kalyan RTO demanding action against tongawallas who ill-treat their horses, the RTO has initiated action with the help of the Kalyan Municipal Corporation, which had granted them license to run tongas. Encouraged by this, the Mumbai-based organization PAWS-Mumbai has nabbed a person who was forcibly dragging away a horse.
According to Sunish Subramanian, PAWS-Mumbai, founder, “On Friday evening at around 7pm we got a call from a person saying that a man was forcibly dragging a horse on the Eastern Express Highway”.
Subramanian informed the police control room and later reached the spot himself and helped apprehend the person. The person, who identified himself as Iqbal Basheer Sheikh, claimed that he was a resident of Kalyan and the horse owner had assigned him the job of transporting the horse to Nariman Point, where he his buyer was located.
According to Subramanian, as per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which was amended in 2001, a person transporting a horse or other such animal on foot must feed and provide water to the animal at regular intervals if the distance is long.
Sheikh confessed that he had not done so and also admitted to have consumed ganja himself enroute.
It may be recalled that, recently, a house found in Kalyan in an injured condition had later died at the hospital. Talking the matter seriously, Heem Malini, had intervened in the matter of ill-treatment of horses.
However, when the PAWS-Mumbai activist took the horse to Vikhroli Police Station to register a case against the person responsible, the police merely sent him away with a warning.
What the Law says?
According to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Transport of Animals on Foot) Rules, 2001, a person transporting horses, ponies, mules, donkeys on foot can only travel 45 km per day, or 6 km per hour. Every three hours, drinking water should be provided to the animals and every six hours, food. Moreover if the person transporting the animal or person transporting the animals or animals is not their owner, he must carry a certifying letter from the owner.
