CHANDIGARH: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, in coordination with senior police officials in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, has successfully intervened to stop 33 illegal pigeon—kabutarbaazi—race events in 20 districts over the past two months. The most recent three events were halted this week in Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana and Sangrur.
In its complaint, PETA India pointed out that according to a December 2020 letter ( https://tinyurl.com/cvd6t6jt ) sent to the Chief Secretary of Punjab, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) had opined that essentially all animal races including Kabutarbazzi, are prohibited under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 and has declared similar events illegal. The letter warned that conducting such spectacles amounted to contempt of court and urged the withdrawal of any permissions or directions for such activities to ensure compliance with the law. Additionally, such events violate multiple provisions of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the PCA Act, 1960, which prohibit inflicting unnecessary suffering on animals.
The complaint also pointed out that the PCA Act, 1960, particularly Section 11(1)(m)(ii) criminalises inciting animals to fight with other animals (kabutarbaazi involves inciting groups of pigeons to compete). In the landmark 7 May 2014 judgment of Animal Welfare Board of India vs A Nagaraja & Ors (Civil Appeal No 5387/2014), the Hon’ble Supreme Court clarified that activities such as animal racing come within the purview of animal fights, as they involve forcing them into competitive and harmful situations, akin to incitement to fight with other animals.
“Pigeons feel pain and fear just like any human, and they don’t want to be captured, imprisoned or exploited as props in people’s games, ” says PETA India Legal Advisor and Director of Cruelty Response, Meet Ashar. “We commend the Punjab police—particularly Shri Amardeep Singh Rai, IPS, Additional Director General of Police (Traffic), Punjab—and the Chandigarh and Haryana Police for their decisive action to uphold the law and protect these birds from abuse. We also urge authorities to identify and penalize the organizers of the events, ensure any further permissions are revoked, and ensure that no similar events are allowed in the future.”
Pigeons used in kabutarbaazi are often confined in cramped, filthy cages and coops, resulting in stress and encouraging disease. During transportation, birds are often packed tightly in wire cages or cardboard boxes, restricting movement, causing injuries and even suffocation. Pigeons used for such events are also often reportedly drugged with opium. There are different types of kabutarbaazi and pigeon racing events, and can include forcing the pigeon to fly beyond the point of exhaustion. In the Faisalabad, Punjab province of eastern Pakistan, a man reportedly burnt all his pigeons locked in a cage after they lost a kabutarbaazi competition. Gambling, a crime under the Public Gambling Act of 1867, is a key part of kabutarbaazi events.
PETA India encourages citizens to report kabutarbaazi and other pigeon racing events by sharing any evidence, including videos, photos, promotional posters, social media posts or links, and location details, with their respective district police chief and Deputy Commissioner, urging them to take action under relevant animal protection and public order laws. Additionally, sharing this information with animal protection organizations such as PETA India supports ongoing efforts to ensure effective enforcement and protect these animals.
The event stopped included those in: Village Behlolpur, Mohali (23 March 2025); Village Chhajli, Sangrur (28 April 2025); Raipur Khurd, Chandigarh (11 May 2025); Village Bhua Kheri, Fatehgarh Sahib (11 May 2025); Village Nahal Khurd, Sangrur (13 May 2025); Village Khanagarh, Mansa (14 May 2025); Village Gurusar Jaga, Tehsil Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda (15 May 2025); Village Nandgarh, Muktsar (15 May 2025); Village Kotli Than Singh, Jalandhar (16 May 2025); Village Bahura, SBS Nagar (17 May 2025); Village Bacchoana, Mansa (17 May 2025); Village Karnanna, SBS Nagar (18 May 2025); Ambala, Haryana (18 May 2025); Village Nanu Majra, SAS Nagar (20 May 2025); Village Ibrahimpur, SBS Nagar (20 May 2025); Village Kakkrala Khurd, Samrala (20 May 2025); Village Madhopur Kalan, Kapurthala (20 May 2025); Village Singho, Bathinda (21 May 2025); Village Darvesh, Kapurthala (22 May 2025); Village Mangekhi, Jalandhar (23 May 2025); Village Ghureli, Bathinda (23 May 2025); Village Bukanwala, Moga (23 May 2025); Village Ramgarh, Sangrur (23 May 2025); Village Moom, Barnala (25 May 2025); Village Ram Nagar, Muktsar (25 May 2025); Village Duggan, Kapurthala (27 May 2025); Village Sanipur, Fatehgarh Sahib (28 May 2025); Village Fatehpur Aryian, Fatehgarh Sahib (29 May 2025); Village Mallian, Jalandhar (31 May 2025); Village Malla, Ludhiana (31 May 2025); Village Rupalheri, Fatehgarh Sahib (1 June 2025); Village Bhutta, Ludhiana (1 June 2025) and Village Bakshiwala, Sangrur (1 June 2025).