Telangana police file FIR against research lab for alleged animal abuse

Hyderabad: Telangana police have registered an FIR against an animal experimentation facility following evidence of alleged systematic abuse.

The FIR was filed against Palamur Biosciences, a government-registered preclinical contract research laboratory located in Mahboobnagar district, based on compelling evidence provided by PETA India.

PETA India recently presented a groundbreaking whistleblower expose that uncovered apparent egregious abuse of dogs, rhesus macaques, and minipigs at the Telangana-based facility. The laboratory, which tests drugs, pesticides, and medical devices on animals often for foreign clients has been accused of conducting experiments that violate established animal welfare protocols.

The animal rights organisation's investigation revealed shocking evidence of systematic cruelty, including severe injuries deliberately inflicted on dogs and the poisoning of piglets that resulted in significant bleeding and trauma. The evidence gathered through the whistleblower-led investigation prompted Boothpur police to take unprecedented action against the facility.

Police have registered charges under multiple sections of both the BNS 2023 and the Indian Penal Code, encompassing provisions for animal cruelty, unlawful killing, and causing irreversible damage to animals.

The FIR was filed under Section 173(1) of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, for apparent violations of Sections 34, 269, 289, 337, and 429 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860. The charges specifically address the killing of animals in the company's custody, maiming animals to the extent of rendering them useless, and unlawfully killing animals in violation of protocols established by the Animal Welfare Board of India in 2013.

The alleged violations extend beyond direct animal cruelty to include negligent conduct that poses probable danger to human life due to inadequate safeguards against animal diseases that can transmit to humans.

Additional charges have been filed under Sections 9, 39, and 51 of the Wild Life Protection Act (WPA), 1972, as rhesus macaques were protected under Schedule II Part I of the WPA before the Wild Life Protection Amendment Act, 2022 took effect on April 1, 2023.

According to Dr Anjana Aggarwal of PETA India, the company's apparent capture of rhesus macaques from the wild during 2021-2022 constitutes hunting under the WPA, which specifically includes capturing as a punishable offense. This represents a significant legal precedent in wildlife protection enforcement.

Following the expose, the Committee for the Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA), a central government regulatory body, constituted an emergency committee to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the facility. However, the inspection report remains pending, raising questions about the timeline for regulatory action.

The case has mobilized the broader animal protection community across India. The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), representing more than 200 animal protection organizations nationwide, has submitted a formal complaint to the CCSEA chairman requesting the permanent closure of Palamur Biosciences and the termination of all its operating licenses.