A court has seized a laboratory in India for "extreme cruelty" to monkeys and dogs.

New Delhi, July 10 (EFE) - The Delhi High Court intervened in the case of India's first-ever criminal complaint against an animal testing laboratory, ordering precautionary measures against the company Palamur Biosciences for alleged "extreme suffering" of dogs and primates.

The court ordered the Hyderabad-based company to suspend the acquisition of new animals and take corrective measures, according to a statement from the animal welfare organization PETA India.

The decision responds to a petition filed by PETA, which has documented alleged serious violations of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

According to the organization, the historic milestone is that "for the first time in Indian history, a police complaint has been filed against an animal testing laboratory."

The report that prompted the court ruling was prepared by a committee of the CPCSEA, the government agency that oversees animal testing, and was submitted on June 17, documenting serious irregularities.

The police complaint, filed by PETA, had been filed the day before, on June 16, but the NGO went to the Delhi High Court, alleging inaction by regulatory authorities.

PETA and other organizations have called for the center's closure and the animals' rehabilitation. The complaint is based on images and testimonies revealing overcrowding, lack of veterinary care, and abuse.

According to the organization, some 1,500 beagles were kept in facilities designed for 800. They also accuse the laboratory of improperly using drugs to euthanize animals and of concealing the presence of primates with potential zoonotic diseases.

The laboratory is a Contract Research Organization (CRO) that conducts preclinical studies for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and agrochemical industries.

On its website, it claims to be registered with the CPCSEA and to operate in accordance with Indian government guidelines. EFE contacted the company, but it declined to comment.

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