Delhi HC to Hear Petition on Animal Sexual Abuse in July

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court is scheduled to take up a plea next month concerning the prosecution of individuals involved in acts of sexual violence against animals.

On May 28, a bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela deferred the matter to July 16, allowing the petitioner time to present additional details.

The petition was filed by the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), which drew the court’s attention to the implications of the "complete repeal" of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) under the newly introduced Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Section 377, originally used to criminalise all forms of "unnatural" sexual acts, was partially struck down by the Supreme Court in 2018 through the landmark Navtej Singh Johar verdict, which decriminalised consensual same-sex relationships. However, the petition noted that the BNS omits Section 377 altogether, which has unintentionally removed protections against sexual crimes involving animals.

The plea also pointed to the report by the parliamentary standing committee on home affairs, which addressed this legislative gap. The committee had recommended reinstating provisions to cover "non-consensual sexual offences against men, transpersons and animals."

According to FIAPO, recent incidents in Delhi underscore the urgency of this issue. In April 2025 alone, two disturbing cases were reported. In Shahdara, a man was arrested for allegedly raping multiple stray dogs. In another case from Saket, a pet dog was found unconscious on the roadside and later died. A condom was discovered in the animal’s private parts, suggesting sexual assault.

The High Court's upcoming hearing may determine whether legislative clarity and legal accountability will be restored in cases involving sexual crimes against animals; a void that currently exists due to the complete omission of the now-defunct Section 377.