PETA India Alleges Shocking Cruelty at Telangana Lab, Calls for Immediate Shutdown

PETA India, an animal rights group, demands the shutdown of a registered animal testing facility in Telangana, reported PTI. They cited “chronic and grave violations” of animal welfare laws as a major reason behind their demand, officials said. PETA India wrote a letter to Dr Abhijit Mitra, Chairman of the Committee for the Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA), reported PTI. In the letter, they mentioned that they have video footage, photos, and insider testimonies from former employees documenting the alleged abuse at the Mahabubnagar-based facility between 2021 and 2023, reported PTI.

PETA India also posted some visuals on X. In an X post, it wrote, “BREAKING NEWS: Whistleblowers expose beagles lying in blood, pigs poisoned so roughly they bleed, monkeys stolen from the wild & killed & other cruelties at Telangana-based @PalamurB. Urge @Dept_of_AHD to shut Palamur down.”

The group demanded that the CCSEA rehabilitate all of the remaining animals and cancel Palamur Biosciences Pvt Ltd's registration. PETA India said in the letter that the company "failed to provide medical care even in cases of serious injuries and infections," kept around 1,500 beagles in a facility meant for only 800, and bred them much beyond recommended limits. The animal rights organisation also claimed that the CCSEA rules and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960 were widely disregarded.

The report further mentions that dogs were allegedly injected with testing materials. Those materials caused abscesses, ulcers, and severe pain to the dogs. Many were left untreated. “Some dogs vomited large amounts of blood before dying,” the letter said, citing whistleblowers. The report mentions that PETA India accused staff of handling animals roughly, kicking them, and slamming cage doors on their limbs.

In the letter, they also mentioned how pigs and monkeys were treated at the company. It claimed that piglets born from an unlicensed minipig breeding were murdered using painful intracardiac injections without sedation. Monkeys that were illegally captured from Rajasthan were kept in plastic bags during transportation. Two have tested positive for monkeypox. There was a huge health risk, yet the company proceeded with testing on remaining animals, reported PTI.

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“These actions not only flout Indian animal welfare regulations but also pose biosecurity and ethical risks,” said Dr Anjana Aggarwal, PETA India’s Scientist and Research Policy Advisor, who signed the letter.

“The company’s practices are entirely out of step with global developments, such as the U.S. government’s recent decision to phase out animal testing,” the letter said.

PETA India encouraged Indian authorities to follow suit and begin by guaranteeing the release of all animals from Palamur Biosciences to "loving homes or recognised sanctuaries," citing recent pronouncements by the U.S. FDA and NIH advocating human-relevant alternatives to animal studies. In addition, PETA India offered to collaborate with non-governmental organisations to help with the animals' care and placement.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy administers the CCSEA.