New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) The Delhi High Court todaydirected the Centre, the AAP government and the police toensure compliance of legal provisions on transporting cattlemeant for slaughter, saying violation of these laws "cannot becountenanced".
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice CHari Shankar said that none of the authorities have been ableto show compliance or implementation of the statutory regimeand rules and underscored that action deserves to be taken oncomplaints and FIRs lodged against the violations.
The court noted that while the petitioner has citedseveral instances of violations and lodging of FIRs, theauthorities have not indicated a single violation.
It also observed that the authorities, including thepolice have not even shown whether any prosecution was carriedout pursuant to the FIRs.
The court said that the issue was "important" and"following the laws and rules is mandatory".
The court was hearing a PIL alleging that cattle meantfor slaughter were subjected to cruelty as they weretransported in overloaded trucks.
It directed the authorities to "ensure compliance of thestatutory regime and rules" and disposed of the petition filedthrough advocate Anupam Tripathi.
The petitioners, animal rights activists Saurabh Guptaand Gaurav Gupta, had claimed in their plea that cattle arebeing ferried in violation of the Transport of Animal Rulesand the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and more thanhalf of the animals die during the journey.
The plea had alleged that the Centre, the Delhigovernment and the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) areturning a blind eye to the violations.
The petitioners had alleged that the trucks are filledthree to six times beyond the legal limit and as a result 50per cent of more of such cattle die during every trip.
The petitioners, who are also members of NGO People forAnimals, had alleged that the police stations concerned wheresuch crime is reported are not serious in registering FIR orin taking action against the culprits. PTI HMP PPS SKV RRTRT.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.