Updated: October 27, 2020 11:28:18 am
The UP Cow Slaughter Prevention Act prohibits the slaughter of cows and their progeny in the state, with a penalty of up to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh. (Proceedings)
EXPRESSING CONCERN about the misuse of the UP Cow Slaughter Prevention Act “against innocent people” and questioning the credibility of the evidence presented by the police in such cases, the Allahabad High Court said steps should be taken to protect abandoned cattle so that the law is implemented in “letter and spirit”.
In granting bail to a defendant detained under the Act in a judgment rendered on October 19 and available now, Judge Siddharth declared that “the Act is being misused against innocent persons.” “Whenever any meat is recovered, it is normally shown as beef (beef) without the Forensic Laboratory examining or analyzing it,” the order states.
“… In most cases, the meat is not sent for analysis. The accused remain in jail for a crime that may not have been committed at all and which is tried by the First Class Magistrate, with a maximum sentence of up to 7 years … As long as the cows are shown to have recovered, no a proper recovery memorandum is prepared and one I don’t know where the cows go after recovery, ”he said.
The warrant was presented at the request of Rahmuddin, who was arrested under the Act by the police in Shamli and imprisoned on 5 August. Rahmuddin’s lawyer had stated in court that he was not arrested at the scene.
Read also | Head of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog: ‘Chip made from cow dung significantly reduces phone radiation’
According to data from the UP government, more than half (76) of the 139 arrests recorded in the state under the strict National Security Act (NSA) this year, as of August 19, were charged with slaughtering cows. Aside from the NSA charges, this year, as of Aug. 26, 1,716 cases had been recorded under the UP’s Cow Slaughter Prevention Act and more than 4,000 people arrested.
Data shows that closure reports were filed in 32 cases after police failed to gather evidence against the defendants.
In the order, Judge Siddharth also addressed a number of issues affecting stray cattle in the state and the effect on society.
“The goshalas do not accept cows that are not milking or old cows and they are allowed to roam the roads. Similarly, the owner of the cows after milking lets them roam the roads, to drink drain / sewage water and eat garbage, polyethylene, etc. Furthermore, cows and cattle on the road are a threat to traffic and there have been several deaths. reported because of them, ”the order said.
Read also | In Uttar Pradesh, more than half of the NSA arrests this year were for cow slaughter.
“In rural areas, ranchers, who cannot feed their livestock, abandon them. They cannot be transported out of state for fear of the locals and the police. Now there are no pastures. Thus, these animals roam from here to there destroying crops. Before, farmers were afraid of Neelgai … now they have to save their crops from street cows, ”the order said.
“Whether the cows are on the roads or in the fields, their abandonment negatively affects society in important ways. Some way out must be found to keep them in cow shelters or with the owners, if the UP Cow Slaughter Prevention Law is going to be implemented in the letter and in the spirit, “he said.
The UP Cow Slaughter Prevention Act prohibits the slaughter of cows and their progeny in the state, with a penalty of up to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh.
.
