The East Khasi Hills District in Meghalaya has enforced a ban on bull and animal fights during local festivals, following reports of illegal events being organized. District Magistrate RM Kurbah issued an order declaring that any violation of the ban would be met with strict legal action under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The decision follows concerns that such events violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Supreme Court’s 2014 ruling against bullfighting. The district administration acknowledged the growing occurrence of animal fights during festivals and took immediate action to curb the practice.
The ban is effective immediately and will remain in place until further notice. Local authorities have been instructed to intensify monitoring of public gatherings and festivals to ensure compliance.
This move follows similar rulings in neighboring states, including the Gauhati High Court’s 2024 ban on buffalo and bulbul bird fights in Assam, which upheld the Supreme Court’s 2014 judgment in the case of Animal Welfare Board of India vs A Nagaraja.
