New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has stepped in following grave revelations of animal cruelty at Palamur Biosciences, a contract research and breeding facility near Hyderabad in Telangana. Responding to a petition filed in light of a whistleblower exposé released by PETA India, the court has directed the central government to take immediate steps to protect the animals and consider suspension of the facility’s licences pending further inquiry.
The court’s intervention comes after a central government-appointed inspection committee submitted a scathing report recommending urgent regulatory action, including the removal and rehabilitation of animals “to prevent further pain and suffering” and a comprehensive review of Palamur’s breeding and experimentation permits. The inspection took place just days after PETA India released disturbing video evidence captured internally at the facility.
Over 1,200 animals including dogs & monkeys held in painful conditions
According to the official inspection report, endorsed by members of the Committee for Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA), Indian Council of Medical Research, Animal Welfare Board of India, and other independent representatives, over 1,200 animals, including dogs, monkeys, pigs, sheep, cattle, mice and rabbits are held in squalid, unregulated conditions.
Inspectors found numerous violations of animal welfare norms. Beagles, some visibly ill or injured, were confined to hard, barren cages without enrichment, bedding or outdoor access. Several dogs were reused in painful experiments within weeks, and one suffering from severe tremors was allowed to die without proper treatment. Cows were found emaciated and standing in wet mud, while primates were kept in cages too narrow for comfort, with no outdoor enclosures.
1st criminal case ever registered against animal experimentation facility in India
In a landmark development, a First Information Report (FIR) accessed by News9 was filed against Palamur Biosciences at Boothpur Police Station under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, the first criminal case ever registered against an animal experimentation facility in India.
Despite the severity of the findings, PETA India warns that there may be attempts within CCSEA to stall enforcement and sanitise conditions ahead of further inspections. “It has been nearly two weeks since these horrific abuses were documented, and yet no animals have been rescued,” said Dr Anjana Aggarwal, Scientist and Research Policy Advisor at PETA India. “The animals at Palamur must be urgently relocated to sanctuaries and caring homes, and the facility’s breeding and testing licences must be revoked.”
Video accessed by News9 showed animals held in extremely cruel condition
Notably, PETA’s original investigation video (also accessed by News9), released earlier this month, showed bloodied, overcrowded beagles attacking each other, minipigs convulsing from poisoning procedures, and wild-caught monkeys subjected to agonising tests. These accounts have now been corroborated by the government-appointed inspectors.