MUMBAI: The

(PETA) India has visited Mumbai's Deonar slaughterhouse – where it has reported that more than 1.24 lakh goats and sheep and about 2,700 buffaloes have arrived from

, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and even as far as Assam to be sold for sacrifice – and documented shocking cruelty and rampant violations of animal protection laws, including the compendium of Acts and Rules on animal transport and slaughter as mandated by a 2017 Order of the Supreme Court of India.

India is now requesting the citizens and the authorities to have mercy and follow all the animal protection rules.

The group has also send letters to senior officials of the

state government, Mumbai Police,

, Maharashtra State Animal Welfare Board, Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal Welfare Board of India, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India demanding that they conduct immediate inspections of the slaughterhouse and enforce laws regarding animal transport and slaughter at the facility.

A recorded admission by a worker that animals routinely die during transport because of severe crowding and lack of care, is also with the

group. Bodies of dead buffaloes being moved through the market premises by a bulldozer has also been photographed to strengthen the evidence as to how cruelly the animals are cramped in vehicles transporting them to the abattoir, leading to painful deaths en route or on arrival at the Deonar slaughterhouse.

In visits to the slaughterhouse in previous years, PETA India had also found that buffaloes were killed in full view of others and that buffaloes, goats, and sheep weren't stunned before being killed, which is a requirement under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, and the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. This means that their throats were cut with a knife while they were still conscious and able to feel pain. And the Transport of Animals Rules, 1978, were also found to be frequently violated.

"All religions call for compassion, and no religion requires eating meat," said PETA India CEO and veterinarian Dr Manilal Valliyate. "Islamic law requires that animals be spared as much pain as possible during slaughter, but our footage proves kindness is the last thing on the minds of the transporters and butchers at the Deonar slaughterhouse. We appeal to the public to show mercy to animals and to celebrate this holiday without hurting them," added Valliyate.

PETA India also recently sent letters to the chief secretaries, the directors general of police, and the directors of animal husbandry departments of state and union territories across India – as well as to the commissioners of municipal corporations of metropolitan cities – requesting that they take all possible precautionary measures to stop any illegal transport and killing of animals in the lead-up to Bakr-Eid, as was advised by the Animal Welfare Board of India in its recent circular.