In an incident that might seem absurd on the surface but is rooted in deep emotional and legal undercurrents, a domestic dispute in Bihar’s Siwan district has spiralled into a criminal case under India’s newly implemented Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The reason? The alleged murder of a pet hen.
The episode unfolded in Tadwa village under Mufassil police station, where a woman named Rinki Devi filed an FIR against three members of her own family, her brother-in-law Guddu Kumar, Sheela Devi, and Sonam Kumari, accusing them of killing her egg-laying hen during a heated altercation on the morning of June 12.
According to Rinki’s complaint, the hen was not just poultry, it was family.
“She was like my child. I raised her from a chick, fed her, and she gave us eggs every day,” said a teary-eyed Rinki Devi at the police station, where she even brought the carcass of the hen as evidence.
Police officials confirmed that after registering the FIR, the hen was buried respectfully.
What may appear trivial is now being handled with full seriousness under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, a provision that penalises cruelty or killing of animals with imprisonment of up to five years and monetary fines. Station in-charge Ashok Kumar confirmed that a formal investigation is underway, marking one of the early applications of this new animal cruelty provision in Bihar.
The case is not limited to animal cruelty alone. Rinki also alleged that her brother-in-law forcibly entered her house, tore off her mangalsutra and earrings, and physically assaulted her before targeting the hen. The family dispute turned violent, culminating in an act that now carries legal weight under the revised criminal code.
This is not an isolated instance. In recent years, animal-related FIRs have increasingly led to tangible legal consequences. Under the erstwhile Indian Penal Code (IPC), Section 429 dealt with similar offences, but enforcement was sporadic.
The BNS, however, brings sharper teeth to the law.
In 2023, a Lucknow man saw justice when neighbours who slaughtered his goat were jailed for three years. In 2024, three Chennai residents were convicted and sentenced, one for two years, for poisoning a stray dog. These rulings reflect a national trend: animal cruelty is no longer a “small matter.”
While Rinki Devi’s case highlights personal grief and familial violence, it also brings into focus a much larger and more controversial debate, ritualistic animal sacrifice and cow slaughter, particularly during religious festivals like Bakrid.
Each year, thousands of animals, including goats, sheep, and in some cases cows (illegally in many states), are sacrificed in the name of tradition. These acts, often carried out in open public spaces, draw severe criticism from animal rights activists and religious groups advocating for compassionate practices.
Animal welfare groups, continue to document cases where animals are transported illegally, without water or space, for hours before being slaughtered in inhumane conditions. The cruelty involved, from slitting throats without stunning to overcrowded holding pens, has raised serious ethical and constitutional questions.
Despite the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, enforcement during festival seasons is often weak, and municipal authorities turn a blind eye. Moreover, cow slaughter remains illegal in most Indian states, yet black markets thrive during Bakrid, leading to communal tensions and sporadic violence.
The case from Siwan may seem, at first glance, as a quirky headline. But beneath it lies a profound message about how Indian society is evolving, legally and morally, towards recognising animal rights. Whether the animal in question is a beloved hen or a sacrificial goat, the law is slowly inching toward empathy, driven by the hope that compassion will one day outweigh cruelty, even if masked in the garb of tradition.
