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Russian circus animals killed in fire
during controversial visit to India
MUMBAI––Seven trained Siberian huskies, seven cats, and four
sea lions belonging to the financially struggling Rosgoscirc circus died
in an April 5 fire at the Chitrakut Grounds in the Mumbai suburb of Andheri
West.
Animal Welfare Board of India representative Bhavin Gathani alleged that
the fire was an arson, but that suspicion lifted after animal caretaker
Jasmin Shah and Chitrakut Grounds manager Rajvir Dhillon confirmed that
the $200,000 insurance policy on the animals had expired two days earlier.
Dhillon attributed the blaze to a short circuit.
Colonel J.C. Khanna of the Animal Welfare Board of India and Mumbai PETA
representative Anuradha Sawhney on February 5, 2005 won a stay on Rogoscirc
performances with a petition to the Bombay High Court alleging that the
circus was operating in violation of Indian animal welfare laws.
In mid-March, wrote Surojit Mahalanobis of the Times of India News Network,
“The court accepted the Rosgoscirc plea that the Indian laws for
animal use in circus shows apply only to Indian animals, and not to foreign
species.”
While Khanna and Sawhney contemplated an appeal, Plant & Animal Welfare
Society activist Nilesh Bhanage leafleted against the resumed circus performances.
On March 27 the circus closed, ostensibly for a two-week break.
“Mysteriously, the circus organisers, an Assam-based event management
company called Choice Events, disappeared after the shows were discontinued,”
the Times of India reported. Choice Events representatives Atif Ali and
D.K. Kumar reportedly owed more than $100,000 in connection with bringing
the circus to Mumbai.
The Russian cast remained with the animals.
“The animals were an integral part of our troupe. We are incomplete
without them,” actor and singer Almar Rajsur told the Times of India.
