HC disposes of PIL as Bangalore Turf Club has substantially carried out works suggested to improve facilities for race horses

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday disposed of a PIL petition related to the welfare for horses at Bangalore Turf Club Ltd., while accepting assurance given by the BTC that remaining renovation and upgrade works to provide better facilities for race horses will be completed within one-and-a-half years

A file photo of the Bangalore Turf Club.

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday disposed of a PIL petition related to the welfare for horses at Bangalore Turf Club Ltd. (BTC), while accepting assurance given by the BTC that remaining renovation and upgrade works to provide better facilities for race horses will be completed within one-and-a-half years.

A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar, disposed of the petition filed in 2019 by Compassion Unlimited Plus Action, an NGO.

The bench disposed of the petition after taking note of a recent inspection report by the inspector appointed by the Animal Welfare Board of India on the ongoing works at the BTC.

The report pointed out that BTC has rectified several deficiencies pointed out in the first inspection report, submitted to the court in December 2020 under the provisions of the Performing Animals (Registration) Rule, 2011.

The Bench said that there is no need to continue the proceedings in the petition as the deficiencies pointed in the conditions of the stables, tracks, and veterinary facilities have been substantially take care of and the BTC has assured that the remaining renovation and the upgrade of facilities would be carried out within one-and-a-half years.

However, the Bench made it clear that the inspector appointed by the AWBI can inspect the BTC as and when required to monitor the progress of the works.