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Mumbai Sessions Court Upholds Welfare Custody of Seized Ceremonial Horse

The ruling treats the magistrate’s custody decision as interlocutory to underscore stricter enforcement of licensing rules tied to Mumbai’s carriage ban.

Overview

  • Additional Sessions Judge Mujibodeen S Shaikh rejected Jagannath Kunjuprasad Rajbhar’s revision plea against the magistrate’s order.
  • The court held that a criminal revision is not maintainable against an interlocutory interim-custody order.
  • The horse remains at an Animal Welfare Board‑recognised facility arranged through PETA and Animal Rahat under a ₹2 lakh bond.
  • Police seized the horse in south Mumbai last year following a PETA FIR under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, citing the 2015 High Court ban on Victoria carriages.
  • The magistrate earlier noted Rajbhar had not produced a valid licence and found the business activity prima facie illegal despite his livelihood claims.