A heartbreaking episode in Malad has unveiled a shocking reality: under India’s current animal welfare laws, even someone caught deliberately killing a cat may face nothing more than a ₹50 fine.
On June 6, residents of a high-rise building witnessed a man, now identified as Kasam Sayyed, hurl a beloved pet cat named Kalu from the ninth floor. The owner, initially misled into thinking Kalu fell accidentally, later discovered that this was no accident—it was cruelty. Security footage revealed the deliberate act, yet accessing that footage came with its own hurdles.
The family’s request for CCTV clips was stalled by the building committee and even the builder’s manager, citing lack of time. Only after escalating to the police and involving NGOs did they secure a compromised clip. The footage later showed Sayyed intentionally throwing Kalu out of the window and casually peering down afterward.
When the family approached local police to file an FIR, they were met with dismissive remarks: “It’s just a cat,” they were told. They were pressured to wait and discouraged from taking action. Despite this harassment, they refused to back down. Five agonizing hours later, the police finally registered an FIR—but only after NGOs intervened. That same night, Sayyed’s sister and associates allegedly confronted the grieving family with threats.
This disturbing incident highlights more than individual cruelty—it reveals how the law fails animals. Under Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA), the maximum fine for “physical torture” of a domestic animal is a measly ₹10 to ₹50 for a first offense. Repeat offenses go up to ₹25–100, or three months’ imprisonment at most. Yet the same law, mostly unchanged since 1990, offers no serious deterrent against brutal acts like murder—even inside one’s home.
This isn’t the first time such leniency has drawn public ire. In the infamous “Jai the dog” case last year, outrage erupted when the accused was allegedly granted bail for only ₹50 after killing a stray. Celebrities and citizens alike condemned the ₹50 fine as being “less than the cost of a vegetable stir-fry.”
Experts and animal activists argue that legislation like the 1960 PCA Act is dangerously outdated. A draft Amendment Bill from 2022 proposes stronger penalties—₹50,000–75,000 fines and up to three years’ imprisonment for first offenses, and up to five years for killing an animal. But until parliament acts, the current weak legal framework emboldens offenders to commit cruelty without fear of punishment.
The Malad incident is a call to action. When someone can kill a cat with impunity—for as little as the price of a roadside snack—it’s a stark reminder that Indian animal protection laws desperately need updating. Justice requires more than hashtags; it demands strong laws, swift enforcement, and genuine respect for the lives of our voiceless companions.
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