FIR after Facebook video shows horse, hitched to carriage, collapsing on road in Kolkata

Kolkata: A first information report (FIR) was registered at Bhowanipore police station after a disturbing video surfaced on social media showing one of two horses hitched to a carriage collapse on the road.
DC (south) Priyobrata Roy said the case, drawn up on Thursday, took the evidence from Facebook as the main lead. "Prima facie, we found substance in the allegation that not only was the horse being harshly treated, but it was also an act that could endanger the common man using the road. We have collected CCTV footage and contacted Maidan and Hastings police to identify the owner," an officer said.

In 2024, at least eight horses died in Kolkata, as evidenced by information documented by Peta India and the CAPE Foundation. Through various investigations, dozens of horses in the city were found to be anaemic, malnourished, chronically starved, and often with serious health conditions such as broken bones.
The horse seen in the video was emaciated and appeared to be suffering from heat stroke and dehydration. The handler can be seen shouting at the animal to haul the carriage again. The other horse is still harnessed to the carriage. The video was originally uploaded on April 21, 2025, by a Facebook user, highlighting concerns about the welfare of the horses during Kolkata's intense summer heat.
The horse's condition — thin, severely dehydrated, and visibly distressed — was confirmed by an equine veterinary expert, who assessed the body score as 1.5 out of 5, and noted signs of tremendous stress and pain. Peta India has called for immediate intervention by authorities to find, rescue, and rehabilitate the injured horse, and to ensure the prosecution of those responsible for the abuse under relevant laws.
The FIR was registered under section 125 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for negligent conduct with an animal posing probable danger to human life and under sections 325 read with 62 of BNS for attempting to maim and cause permanent harm to the animal. The case also invokes multiple sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, including section 3 for failing in the duty of care, section 11(1)(a) for overworking and inflicting unnecessary suffering, section 11(1)(f) for unreasonably tethering the animal, and section 11(1)(h) for failure to provide adequate food, water, and shelter. Additionally, section 3(5) of BNS was invoked for committing crimes in furtherance of common intention.
"The animal needs urgent relocation to a sanctuary where it can receive immediate medical care and be spared further trauma. This shocking footage is yet another example of the cruelty and neglect routinely faced by horses used for rides in Kolkata. The animals are forced to work in extreme temperatures on hard roads, often without adequate food, water, or rest — and this case proves just how dangerous and inhumane these conditions are. It's time for Kolkata to follow Mumbai's example and replace these archaic carriages with electric alternatives," said Peta India representative Chumki Dutta.
The Calcutta High Court took serious note of incidents in which horses collapsed at the Maidan and elsewhere in Kolkata due to poor health. The court also noted other issues, such as the wide-scale prevalence of unlicenced hackney carriages in the city and the high rate of abandonment of ailing and unfit horses by their owners. The court directed the state govt to develop a proposal for rehabilitating horse owners and providing them with an alternative livelihood to hauling tourists in carriages so that "dispensing with the horse-drawn carriages as done in Mumbai can be considered and examined for its feasibility".