mumbai the mumbai police has taken quick action on a complaint of peta india animal rights group about illegal horsecart racing taking place at gorai beach based on the video evidence submitted to the cops by peta india the local gorai police station lodged an fir for animal cruelty under the prevention of cruelty to animals act 1960 we had come to know that illegal horsecart races were organised by some people at gorai beach especially on sundays the video with us shows how the horses were whipped and goaded to run fast on the slippery beach as several motorcyclists drove alongside making a lot of noise which can easily scare the horses said the peta india associate manager of emergency response team he added that by saturday evening a few accused persons involved in the racing event have been rounded up and will be produced before a local court the animal protection group learned about the incident after a video went viral on social media which showed many men mercilessly whipping and beating horses continuously forcing them to run amidst the chaos of noisy motorcycles and the shouting riderslocal police informed that the fir was lodged under section 11 1 of the pca act which makes it illegal to whip or beat an animal causing it unnecessary physical pain after submitting a formal complaint to the commissioner of police mumbai peta india worked closely with the deputy commissioner of police zone xi mumbai vishal thakur peta india commends the efforts of the mumbai police for sending a clear message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated and for ensuring that the 2015 direction of the honble high court of bombay which banned keeping and using horses for joy rides ceremonies processions and other purposes in the city is enforced said meet ashar the mental trauma and the physical torture these malnourished and weak horses must have endured is hard to imaginefurther police inquiry is on the animal activists said that they will also try to rescue the horses involved especially if they have signs of injuries on their bodies peta india whose motto reads in part that animals are not ours to abuse in any way in its letter to the commissioner of police pointed out that high court of bombay through its 2015 judgment ruled that none of the stables for horses in mumbai used for joy rides and other purposes possesses a licence under section 394 of the mumbai municipal corporation act 1888 the group also referred to 2016 rajasthan high court order which banned tonga races in the state of rajasthan following a study report submitted by the animal welfare board of india which pointed out that cruelty to horses is inherent when they are forced to run amidst the chaos of vehicles and with spectators shouting all of which the horses would find frightening and distressing as happened during the illegal race at gorai beachwatch caught on cam illegal horsecart racing held