Animal cruelty case: PETA objects to appointment of IISC’s Dr. Ramachandra to inspect Palamur Biosciences

New Delhi: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has lodged a strong objection with the Committee for Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA) regarding the proposed appointment of Dr. Ramachandra S.G. from the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) as a court-appointed commissioner to inspect Palamur Biosciences.

Alleging a conflict of interest, PETA highlighted a history of animal cruelty accusations against IISC.

PETA India has filed an objection in the Delhi High Court. PETA said that CCSEA failed to inform the court that IISC itself was accused of widespread animal cruelty. Former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, who previously chaired the CPCSEA (now CCSEA), accused it of killing a large number of animals in 2022.

Despite these accusations, CCSEA reportedly pushed hard in court for Dr. Ramachandra S G, the sole inspector with a veterinary or scientific background among the two proposed commissioners, while rejecting PETA India's expert recommendations.

PETA India further clarified to the court that Dr. Ramachandra S.G. is a core committee member of CCSEA, contradicting the body's presentation of him as an independent party. The other court-appointed inspector will be an advocate serving as an observer.

In addition to challenging the appointment, PETA India has urged the court to order the release of 73 beagles currently held in cages at Palamur Biosciences, marked for rehabilitation, to reputable NGOs willing to provide care and facilitate adoptions.

Background of the Dispute:

The current dispute stems from an extensive investigation of Palamur Biosciences in Hyderabad conducted on June 11-12, 2025, by a multidisciplinary team of CCSEA-appointed inspectors. This investigation was prompted by disturbing whistleblower accounts of cruelty to dogs, monkeys, and mini-pigs filed by PETA India. The inspectors' report, submitted to CCSEA on June 17, 2025, corroborated serious animal abuses and misconduct at Palamur Biosciences.

The explosive report recommended "immediate regulatory action…including the removal and rehabilitation of animals to prevent further pain and suffering," as well as a review of Palamur Biosciences’ registration and breeding license. However, PETA India claims that instead of acting on its own inspectors' recommendations, CCSEA took a "highly irregular" turn. The government body allegedly threatened PETA India with legal action if it did not reveal the source of the inspection report copy and issued a "Public Notice" on its website instructing Palamur Biosciences’ clients to disregard any communication from PETA India regarding the facility.

PETA India draws parallels between the alleged cruelties at IISC and Palamur Biosciences, as well as CCSEA's handling of both situations. In both cases, staff at the facilities reported cruelty, and initial CCSEA inspections corroborated these claims. In 2022, experiments at IISC were temporarily halted. Both IISC and Palamur Biosciences have attributed any deficiencies to "miscommunication" or misunderstanding. Notably, IISC has admitted to killing up to fifty animals daily.

Dr. Anjana Aggarwal, Scientist and Research Policy Advisor at PETA India, questioned the integrity of the proposed inspection, stating, "How can a scientist from IISC, a laboratory accused of cruelty to animals, be trusted to conduct a fair inspection of Palamur Biosciences for its cruelty to animals? Palamur Biosciences has already been inspected by CCSEA-appointed inspectors, whistleblower concerns have been corroborated, and now it is time for CCSEA to implement the recommendations made that all of the animals at Palamur Biosciences be removed and rescued. PETA India calls on CCSEA to implement the recommendations of its inspection report."

Findings of the CCSEA-Appointed Inspectors' Report (June 17, 2025):

The report concluded that the "operational deficiencies observed at PBPL [Palamur Biosciences] are not isolated incidents but indicative of entrenched structural, procedural and ethical failures." It highlighted the "scale and severity of non-compliances" and stressed the need for "urgent attention—particularly for the removal and rehabilitation of animals to prevent further pain, distress or suffering." The report also called for "a critical review of the facility’s registration and breeding license because of the serious and repeated deviations from prescribed norms."

Specific instances of cruelty and mismanagement detailed in the report include:

Lack of Animal Inventory: Palamur Biosciences failed to produce an inventory of its animals. Inspectors counted over 1232 animals, significantly more dogs than approved by CCSEA.

Reuse in Painful Experiments: Animals across all species were found to be reused in painful experiments, often within weeks of other studies, violating CCSEA guidelines. One dog in an experiment suffered severe tremors before being killed. Cows were also experimented on and found to be in poor body condition.

"Rehabilitation" Conditions: 73 dogs designated for rehabilitation were kept in "make-shift arrangements" with the same bleak housing conditions as animals used for breeding and experiments.

Poor Animal Health & Lack of Medical Care: Dogs were observed in poor condition, suffering from issues like cherry eye and being underweight, with no appropriate medical records or evidence of treatment for sick animals. Mini-pigs and cows also showed poor general body condition.

Inadequate Euthanasia Procedures: Sedatives, required for humane euthanasia, were not used before killing dogs, and a general lack of sufficient drugs indicated severely inadequate euthanasia procedures.

Absence of Distress Management Protocol: The inspectors noted, "An anxiety, fear, and distress management protocol" was not in place. Two monkeys undergoing an experiment involving an incision and wound were found to be without any sedatives.

Lack of Veterinary Documentation: "No structured, on-site veterinary documents were available…"

Insufficient Medications: Hardly any medicines were available for the animal population, including no sedatives, analgesics, anesthetics, or emergency/pain-management medicines.

Curated CCTV Footage: Only curated CCTV footage was provided to inspectors, even after repeated requests.

The inspectors' report ultimately stated that the overall approach to animal welfare and care at the facility "reflects a deeply troubling lack of commitment to the health and well-being of the animals in its custody."

These findings align with PETA India's earlier whistleblower-led exposé, which revealed beagles crammed into overcrowded enclosures, causing self-inflicted bloody wounds, mini-pigs poisoned roughly causing bleeding, and terrified wild-caught monkeys being subjected to experiments. Insider allegations also included a lack of painkillers, animals becoming immobile and dying from procedures, and general manhandling of animals.