KOTA: Assisted by PETA India, the Saligrama Pattana Panchayat conducted its seventh raid on July 7 at the “Animal Rescue Centre” operated by B. Sudhindra Aithal in Saligrama, leading to the registration of a fresh FIR at the Kota Police Station.

During the joint operation, officials discovered the rotting carcass of a calf, hidden under a tin sheet near a pile of animal bones on the premises. The team also rescued 17 surviving but severely sick animals, including four adult dogs, six puppies, six kittens, and one guinea pig. The animals were found confined in filthy, overcrowded conditions, tied with very short ropes without adequate food, water, or medical care. Preliminary examinations revealed they were suffering from heavy tick infestations and highly contagious diseases such as canine distemper and parvovirus.

Despite multiple closure orders from the Saligrama Pattana Panchayat, the Animal Husbandry Department, and the Deputy Commissioner, alongside a previous FIR registered in October 2025 under the directions of Udupi SP Hariram Shankar, Aithal continued to hoard animals illegally. Across seven raids, more than 350 animals, including protected wildlife, have been rescued from this facility. Following the latest inspection, Mahesh Udupa from PETA India submitted a fresh complaint, based on which the Kota police booked Aithal under the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

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