Animal Rescue and Care

The petition filed by FIAPO arose after the enactment of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which fully repealed Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
While acknowledging that the Supreme Court had rightly read down Section 377 in its 2018 verdict to decriminalise consensual same-sex relationships, the plea highlighted an unintended consequence of its complete removal. The deletion, it argued, has resulted in the absence of any specific legal provision addressing sexual violence against animals, effectively leaving them without statutory protection.
The court noted that it would not step into the domain of legislative policymaking. However, it directed the Union government to examine the issue and take a decision within a stipulated timeframe.