New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) PETA India has written to a government body that supervises experiments on animals to stop the alleged killing of animals in the name of medical research at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).Drawing the attention of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision on Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) to media reports on the alleged incarceration of animals in the central animal house facility of the AIIMS, the NGO said: “We had written a letter to the CPCSEA chairman drawing his attention to this very important matter.

“CPCSEA has been constituted as per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and under the Animal Welfare Division of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The prime concern of the committee should be welfare of the animals.

“However it is seen from the media reports that the expert consultant of CPCSEA, Anil Kumar Gupta, who was part of the team inspecting the animal house at AIIMS, had issued statements in the media prior to the inspection of the animal house facility of AIIMS, defending AIIMS,” the letter added.

The body asked how a member of inspection team, before ascertaining the facts, issue a statement defending an institute that has been accused of breaching the law.

The Indian chapter of the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urged the committee members to take up the matter with the government for urgently rescuing all animals held at the AIIMS for research purposes.

It also urged the members to recommend severe action against the staff of the AIIMS animal house.