NEW DELHI, May 8,2026 : In a significant development for animal welfare monitoring in India, the National Crime Records Bureau has, for the first time, included cases of crimes and cruelty against animals in its annual Crime in India 2024 report.
According to the newly released data, a total of 9,039 cases were registered nationwide in 2024 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
The move comes after years of demands from animal rights groups and activists who argued that while incidents involving animal attacks on humans were regularly documented, there had been no official national database tracking violence and cruelty against animals.
As per the NCRB statistics, Maharashtra recorded the highest number of animal cruelty cases in the country with 2,927 FIRs registered during the year.
Among Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir topped the list with 223 reported cases, followed by Delhi with 35 cases.
State-wise figures showed that Telangana registered 1,890 cases under the Act, while Kerala recorded 1,510 cases and Uttar Pradesh reported 1,121 cases.
Other major states included Karnataka with 320 cases, Tamil Nadu with 259 and Gujarat with 181 cases during 2024.
The report also revealed that several northeastern states and Union Territories either reported very few or no cases at all. No cases were registered in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura during the year.
Similarly, among Union Territories, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Chandigarh reported zero cases under the animal cruelty law.
Reacting to the inclusion of the data in the NCRB report, animal rights activist and former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi welcomed the move, calling it a long-overdue recognition of a serious issue.
She said increased police awareness and official documentation could help ensure stronger enforcement against cruelty towards animals.
Gandhi also emphasised the widely discussed link between violence against animals and violent behaviour towards humans, stating that individuals involved in serious crimes often display abusive behaviour towards animals at an early stage.
Referring to global crime studies, she noted that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States treats animal cruelty as a serious offence requiring close attention.
Animal rights activist and dog feeder Rashim Sharma termed the NCRB’s move a “welcome step”, saying that recognising cruelty against animals as a crime would increase public awareness, encourage reporting and help create deterrence against such acts.
Activists believe the actual number of incidents remains significantly underreported and hope that the official recording of such crimes will lead to stronger legal action and greater societal sensitivity towards animal welfare.
