HC stays lower court order in cow slaughter case

Mumbai, May 17 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today stayed a lower court order which had allowed a person to take possession of the cattle seized from him while he was carrying them for slaughtering illegally.

Judge H G Rohee, while staying the lower court order till further directions, also issued a notice to Vishram Krushna Jadhav, from whose posession the cattle was seized, to appear before the court during the next hearing in June.

The Bhartiya Govansh Rakashan Samvardhan Parishad, a social organisation, had lodged a complaint with the police against Jadhav alleging that the latter had brought 15 cows and four bullocks to Pen in Raigad district for slaughtering without proper permission from competent authorities. Being an offence under various animal protection acts, the police had seized the animals from Jadhav.

Following seizure, the social organisation moved the local court for the custody of the animals till the disposal of the case, which was granted.

Jadhav, however, submitted evidence to the court that he had bought the animals at an auction at Uran in Raigad district and did not intend to slaughter them. Accepting the evidence, the local court passed directions in favour of Jadhav.

However, the petitioner challenged the order in the High Court while contending that if Jadhav was given custody of the animals and if they were indeed slaughtered, the evidence would be destroyed.

The High Court upheld the contention and stayed the lower court order.

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