5 booked for sacrificing ram before release of Daaku Maharaj movie in Tirupati
Hyderabad: Tirupati police registered a case against five persons for sacrificing a ram before the release of Telugu film actor Nandamuri Balakrishna’s movie “Daaku Maharaj” at Pratap theatre in Tatanagar in Tirupati on January 12.
The case was booked against five persons – Sankaraiah of Machereddypalli, Ramesh of Korlagunta, Suresh Reddy of Chinthamani, Prasad of Bangarupalem and Lokesh Babu of Pallipattu, along with other fans of Balakrishna for allegedly sacrificing a ram in front of the movie poster for “Daaku Maharaj.”
During the incident, one individual held the ram’s legs, another held its head, and a third person beheaded the animal using a knife while it was fully conscious. Subsequently, members of the public present at the scene smeared the ram’s blood on the movie poster, creating a public nuisance.
The case was booked based on a complaint lodged by Saloni Sakaria, Cruelty Response Coordinator, PETA India.
Saloni Sakaria said that killing an animal and smearing their blood on a poster doesn’t make a super fan. “It makes you (fans) a villain and a criminal. True fans celebrate their favourite stars with movie tickets and supportive social media posts, not with acts of violence or cruelty,” she said, appreciating Tirupati police for swiftly registering an FIR and sending the message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated.
The FIR was registered under Sections 325 and 270, read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita-2023, Sections 4 and 5, read with 6 and 8 of the Andhra Pradesh Animals and Birds Sacrifices (Prohibition) Act-1950 and Section 3, 11(1)(a) and 11(1)(l) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act-1960.