New Delhi: More than 100 veterinarians have urged a central government agency that regulates experimentation involving animals to act against Telangana-based Palamur Biosciences Laboratory, months after its inspectors reported severe animal rights violations at the private research and animal-breeding organisation.
The 110 veterinarians who signed the letter from across the country, wrote to the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA), which comes under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, to immediately implement its recommendations of a 17 June inspection report on Palamur, while saying that the report had highlighted cruelty meted out to the animals kept there.
The CCSEA gave its report to the Delhi High Court in a case filed by animal rights organisation, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), highlighting the body’s failure to address the violations of animal rights at the laboratory. The report said that its inspectors found over 1,200 animals in Palamur—including dogs, rhesus macaques, cows, pigs, rabbits and rats—suffering because of overcrowding, repeated use in painful experiments, lack of veterinary care, absence of adequate housing, and rough handling.
“We, the undersigned veterinarians, are committed to ensuring the well-being of animals, and we are deeply alarmed by the whistle-blower-documented cruelty, negligence, and severe animal welfare violations uncovered at Palamur Biosciences Pvt. Ltd. (Palamur), a contract laboratory and animal breeding facility in Telangana,” the veterinarians said in a statement.
They added that the CCSEA took no known remedial action even after a month of the report’s release. “As veterinarians, we believe this dangerous delay in enforcement enables egregious animal suffering and represents a betrayal of the principles that the CCSEA was established to uphold. The longer the animals are left in these appalling conditions, the more they will suffer,” the letter said.
After taking note of the report’s findings, the Delhi High Court, on 8 July, directed the CCSEA to take interim remedial steps against Palamur. The court also took into consideration several findings of the 17 June report, such as how the company was handling, housing and euthanizing animals.
The report had also suggested urgently reviewing the laboratory’s registration to breed and experiment on animals, and to rehabilitate them.
The Delhi High Court Tuesday reserved its verdict on PETA’s plea.
Also Read: After FIRs & inspections, fate of ‘tortured’ animals at Palamur lab rests on new panel report
What the report said
The CCSEA inspected Palamur Biosciences, the contract animal testing laboratory in Telangana, between 11 and 12 June, acting on violations reported through PETA India by whistle-blowers who contacted the organisation.
The inspection committee, which included CCSEA members and Animal Welfare Board of India representatives, suggested immediate regulatory action, including the removal and rehabilitation of animals to prevent further pain and suffering. It also suggested a review of Palamur Biosciences’ registration and breeding license status.
Subsequently, the inspectors found that more than 1,200 beagles and other animals at the facility were being kept in unsatisfactory conditions.
“Particularly disturbing were the euthanasia practices observed: beagle dogs were euthanised using thiopentone sodium without prior sedation, and monkeys subjected to invasive surgical procedures involving implantation and daily wound care were physically restrained using gloves, with only analgesics administered post-procedure and dressing, and no sedatives provided,” said the report.
The report also said that several dogs from the breeding stock were housed in two experimental facilities due to insufficient space in the designated breeding area, highlighting poor planning and inadequate resource management. “Critically, these animals had not been screened for disease conditions prior to relocation, despite such screening being a mandatory prerequisite before introducing animals into experimental zones,” the report said, while pointing to serious concerns like the risk of contamination.
The 17 June report also flagged the lack of a protocol to address anxiety, fear, or psychological distress in animals, and pointed to a grave neglect of the animals’ mental welfare. It said that the veterinary protocol failed to meet even the minimum required standards.
The inspectors also found that the laboratory failed to provide CCTV footage from critical areas and that there were inconsistencies between reported study approvals and the actual number of animals on-site.
“The inspection team concluded that many of the allegations raised by PETA India’s whistleblower—including overcrowding, veterinary neglect, inappropriate handling, and euthanasia violations—were substantiated or could not be conclusively refuted due to the absence of required documentation,” it said.
Overall, the findings reflected a systemic and ongoing disregard for regulatory compliance, ethical responsibility, and animal welfare, the report said, while adding that immediate regulatory action was warranted in this case, including the removal and rehabilitation of animals to prevent further pain and suffering.
What has Delhi HC done so far
On 10 July, the Delhi High Court barred Palamur from procuring or keeping new animals after the allegations of cruelty surfaced.
Before this, on 8 July, Justice Sachin Datta had examined the CCSEA inspection report and photos from Palamur Biosciences, saying that urgent directions were needed to improve the condition of animals.
In doing so, the court had directed immediate steps to be taken by the CCSEA to put in place remedial measures for veterinary treatment and proper handling of animals.
It also asked the CCSEA to prevent practices such as euthanasia and treatment without sedatives on animals, while calling for adequate arrangements for the animals.
In its petition, PETA said that it had complained to the CCSEA about the abusive, cruel treatment and neglect of animals at the facility.
Palamur’s counter
Terming PETA’s plea as a “gross abuse of the process of law,” Palamur told the court that the animal rights organisation had filed the plea with a “mala fide intent” to obstruct the lab from lawfully carrying out its activities.
It also alleged that PETA had consistently acted in disregard of the law, engaging in acts of harassment by interfering with its legitimate operations and circulating defamatory statements, solely to hinder and disrupt its functioning.
It said that it was conducting research for the advancement of new drug discoveries to treat diseases in both humans and animals, and dismissed PETA’s plea as based on “false and reckless” allegations.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
Also Read: Inspection panel calls for rescue of 1,200+ animals from Palamur Biosciences facility. What it found