Kozhikode (Kerala), Jan 20 (PTI) The planned sacrifice of roosters as part of an annual ritual at a village temple has been stopped in Kerala's Kozhikode district, thanks to the timely intervention of the police and animal rights campaigners.

The ritual was planned by some local residents and the management of a temple in Kunnummakkara, near Chombala, in the northern district.

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After learning about the scheduled ritual, the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India approached the local police to prevent the sacrifice.

In response, the Edachery Police issued a notice to the temple, ensuring no animals or birds would be sacrificed, according to a PETA statement released on Monday.

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PETA India had worked with concerned officials to prevent the same sacrifice last year as well, the statement added.

"Just as human sacrifice is now recognised and condemned as murder, the outdated practice of animal sacrifice must also be abolished," said Sinchana Subramanyan, Cruelty Response Coordinator at PETA India.

In its complaint, PETA India also pointed out that killing roosters illegally by several individuals in furtherance of a common intention is a punishable offense under Section 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

Under Section 325 of the BNS, unlawfully killing roosters is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a fine, or both, the statement added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)