Animal cruelty in Central Animal Facility: Maneka Gandhi to IISc head

BENGALURU: Lok Sabha member Maneka Gandhi shot off a letter to Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, over animal cruelty in its Central Animal Facility (CAF). In her letter on Thursday to IISc Director Govindan Rangarajan, a copy of which is with TNIE, she pointed out mass culling of 300 laboratory animals every day.

Maneka alleged irregularities in CAF over the past 18 months, and blamed Dr Sathees C Raghavan over irregularities and alleged sexual harassment. She stated the animals are kept in poor conditions, not fed regularly, and rarely washed. They are malnourished, and suffer from skin diseases, she said, adding that because of which, IISc departments like Centre for Neuro Scie­nce have stopped taking anim­als from CAF for research.

She also said that the facility does not have a permanent veterinarian. IISc communication section stated: “The total average number of animals culled per day at CAF range 42-50. Animals are fed as per global norms. CAF has a veterinarian and four part-time vets.” On sexual harassment, it said that no written complaint was received.

NO ACTION AFTER LETTERS
IISc staffers also wrote a letter to KDA chairman and CM on January 13, 2022 stating harassment being meted out to Kannadigas by IISc faculty members, including those at CAF. They said that Group D staffers had filed complaints on November 5, 2021 and Janaury 7, 2022, with the IISc registrar, but no action was taken.