Mangaluru : After High Court permitted to organize the Kambala, the police have registered twenty-two FIRs in connection with complaints of cruel treatment towards buffaloes after an event of Kambala, traditional buffalo racing on slush tracks, was held at Baradi village in Udupi district on Sunday.

‘Baradibeedu Kambala’ was the first such race to be held in the village on Saturday and Sunday, after the High Court lifted the ban on it in an interim order last week but with the rider that buffaloes should not be subjected to any sort of cruelty.

The district administration had imposed the ban in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts on a letter by the Animal Welfare Board of India, stating that the Supreme Court had banned Jallikattu,(taming of the bull) in Tamil Nadu.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) director – veterinary affairs, Manilal Valliyate said the most common forms of cruelty were pulling the buffaloes’ nose rope, beating them and shouting.

Valliyate said the animals were threatened with sticks and colour cloths and by shouting commands to induce fear in them so as to make them run faster. “Kambala races which force buffaloes to run out of fear and threat have no place in a civilised society and Supreme Court has confirmed that,” he said.

Police said FIRs-21 non-cognizable and one cognizable were filed at Karkala rural police station based on the complaint lodged by Honorary animal welfare officers appointed by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) pointing out that buffaloes were being subjected to cruelty.

They also cited insufficient measures to unload buffaloes from the vehicles and lack of health and vaccination checks.Udupi Superintendent of Police P Rajendra Prasad said the police officer present at the venue had reported that there was no violence against animals during the race.

Kambala expert Gunapala Kadamba, who expressed shock over the development, also said there was no violence against animals.