People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) Vs State of Karnataka & Ors. (Supreme Court of India)
A public interest litigation was filed seeking directions to restrain the State of Karnataka from granting permission for bull races, including the event known as “Kambala,” outside the rural districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. The petitioner also sought enforcement of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (PCA Act) and relied on the observations of the Supreme Court in Animal Welfare Board of India v. Union of India (2023).
Read Karnataka HC Judgment in this case: No Legal Basis to Ban Kambala Outside Coastal Karnataka, Rules High Court
Earlier, the legality of bull-related sporting events such as Jallikattu and bullock cart races had been examined by the Supreme Court in Animal Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja (2014), where such events were held to be cruel and in violation of the PCA Act. Subsequently, the Karnataka Legislature enacted the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Second Amendment) Act, 2017, which permitted traditional events such as Kambala and bullock cart races subject to conditions to ensure that animals are not subjected to unnecessary pain or suffering. The Act was published in the Official Gazette on 20.02.2018.
