In a shocking case of animal rights violation, cattle at a slaughterhouse in East Delhi was found to be allegedly electrocuted rather than being ‘stunned’ before their slaughtering. During a surprise inspection at the Ghazipur slaughterhouse, East Delhi Mayor Satya Sharma has also claimed to have found buffaloes and sheep suspended upside down from hooks while they were still conscious.
“In slaughterhouses, ‘stunning’ – a process of rendering the animals unconscious before killing them – is followed, but not in this case. Buffaloes were being electrocuted by placing a live wire on their body, before slitting their throat,” he said.
During the inspection on August 10, the mayor was accompanied by Additional Commissioner EDMC, CA Dhan and a few animal rights experts. “Besides, we also found that buffaloes and sheep were suspended upside down from hooks even while they were conscious. There was no provision to separate sick animals from the rest of the herd,” he said.
The abattoir, said to be the country’s largest mechanised slaughterhouse, functions under the supervision of EDMC and is leased to a major private firm.
“It was my first inspection and it’s shocking what we saw. Such cruelty to animals is unacceptable. I have already written to the EDMC Commissioner, seeking action against the Director of Veterinary in this connection. We have also sought a proper counting of animals kept there and installation of CCTV cameras there,” he said.