HYDERABAD: Making it clear that no cockfights should take place during Sankranti festival, a division bench of the Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of AP State to take steps ensuring that cockfights do not take place during ensuing festival more particularly in East and West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts.
The bench made it clear that the two senior officials should personally monitor the situation and take the responsibility for any violations. Besides, the bench directed the District Collector and Superintendent of Police of West Godavari to file an additional affidavit informing about the steps taken by them to implement earlier order of the court to prevent such fights in the State.
The bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice G Shyam Prasad was passing these orders in petitions filed separately against organising cock fights in places like Krishna and Godavari districts during Sankranti season. The petitioners sought directions to the government authorities to implement provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and the AP Gaming Act, 1974 and to prevent the anti-social elements from organising cockfights with betting during Sankranti.
In December 2016, the High Court directed the AP government to constitute Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) under the 2001 Rules prescribed in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960 in all the 13 districts at the earliest i.e. not later than January 31, 2017. Further, the bench also directed all the district collectors, more particularly of East and West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts, to constitute joint inspection teams for each mandal in their respective districts, consisting of a sub-inspector, tahsildar and a representative of either the Animal Welfare Board of India or from an NGO working for the cause of animals or persons involved in the prevention of cruelty to animals.
HC puts civic body resolutions on hold
Hyderabad: A division bench of the Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday suspended the operation of resolutions passed by the Bapatla municipality in Guntur district which allotted prime land to private organisations.
The bench opined that there was no public interest involved in allotment of such lands. The bench of Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice G Shyam Prasad was dealing with a PIL filed by local MLA Kona Raghupathy complaining that the Bapatla municipality has given away prime land to the Lions Club, Pragati Tailor Workers Welfare Association and Association of Senior Citizens of Bhavapuri. Wondered at how such allotment could be made, the bench questioned how private organisations can be given lands in such a manner by a local body. The bench suspended the resolutions in this regard and adjourned the matter for filing counter affidavit by the State government.