Goat beheaded at Nandamuri Balakrishna's film release; Andhra police book five

Hyderabad: Andhra police booked five persons by registering an FIR against them for beheading a goat during the release of popular Tollywood actor, Nandamuri Balakrishna's latest movie Daku Maharaj.

The goat was killed outside Pratap movie theatre in Tirupati at the movie release on January 12. Daku Maharaj has been doing well at the box office and is seen as this Sankranthi season's blockbuster.

The incident was caught on video, which shows men presumed to be fans of Balakrisha surrounding a frightened goat. The video then shows the goat, fully conscious, being beheaded with a machete and the slaughter taking place in full public view. The video also shows a man smearing the blood of the sacrificed goat on the movie poster.

The FIR no 17 of 2025 was registered by Tirupati East Police Station against five identified persons under sections 325 & 270, read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; sections 4 & 5, read with 6 & 8 of the Andhra Pradesh Animals and Birds Sacrifices (Prohibition) Act, 1950; and sections 3, 11(1)(a) and 11(1)(l) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

After learning that a group of men beheaded a goat for superstitious reasons to support the release of actor Daaku Maharaj, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India worked with senior police officials of Tirupati district to register the FIR.

“Killing an animal and smearing their blood on a poster doesn't make you a super fan—it makes you a villain and a criminal. True fans celebrate their favourite stars with movie tickets and supportive social media posts, not with acts of violence or cruelty,” said PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator Saloni Sakaria. “PETA India commends Tirupati police, especially the Superintendent of Police, L Subbarayudu, for swiftly registering an FIR and sending the message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated,” she added.

In its complaint, PETA India pointed out that Section 4 of the Andhra Pradesh Animals and Birds Sacrifices (Prohibition) Act, 1950 prohibits any person from officiating, performing, serving, assisting, or participating in sacrificing an animal in any congregation. Section 5 prohibits the use of a place of public religious worship or adoration or its precincts for sacrificing animals by any person in possession of such precinct. Section 6 prescribes the penalties, and Section 8 makes all offences under the Act cognisable.

The Supreme Court has ordered that animals can be slaughtered only in licensed slaughterhouses and that municipal authorities must ensure compliance with this ruling.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, and the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, permit the slaughter of animals for food only in licensed slaughterhouses equipped with species-specific stunning equipment.

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka prohibit religious sacrifice in any place of public religious worship, adoration, its precinct, or any congregation or procession connected with religious worship on a public street. Gujarat, Kerala, Puducherry, and Rajasthan also have specific laws prohibiting the religious sacrifice of any animal in any temple or its precinct.