Arrested for forcibly feeding cigarette to mule in Kedarnath track: Action after video goes viral

A video of two youths forcibly feeding a mule a cigarette on the way to Kedarnath went viral. Taking action on this, Sonprayag police have arrested the mule owner.
The incident took place at Tharu camp near Chhoti Lincholi. A case has been registered against the mule owner under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
In the viral video, two youths were seen forcing the mule to smoke. As soon as the video surfaced, social media users to celebrities like Raveena Tandon also called it cruelty.
Animal lovers shared the video on social media, speculating that by doing this they numb the senses of the mule, to force it to work harder. Significantly, horses and mules are used to carry pilgrims and their belongings on the track to the Himalayan shrine.
Sonprayag police's Suresh Chandra Baluni said police in Rudraprayag examined the video and found that the incident happened recently at Tharu camp near Chhoti Lincholi on the 16-km trek to Kedarnath. He told that the mule owner Rakesh Singh Rawat has been arrested in this connection.
A case has been registered against Rakesh under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. At present, it is being investigated whether the cigarette was filled with ganja or not. The Kedarnath Yatra began on April 25 and police have registered 14 cases of cruelty to horses in two months.