HYDERABAD: In view of Bakrid coming up, cattle transported to Telangana capital are being closely monitored by police. However, a gaping hole in the implementation of the law and a lack of facilities are resulting in the confiscated cattle ending up in gaushalas. Traders claim that once they end up in gaushalas, cattle are never released despite court orders. They rue that the police are allegedly aided by gau rakshaks.
If police find any violations — such as a truck overloaded with animals — they are confiscated and sent to gaushalas. However, this is arrangement illegal. It has been found that an unimplemented Section of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s Act — the Care and Maintenance of Case Property — is cited by police to send the animals to gaushalas.
Explaining the issue, Abdul Faheem Qureshi, advocate and president of Jamiat-ul-Quraish, said, “The Central government had introduced the Section under the main Act. However, it was not implemented after it faced objections.”
In 2017, Jamiat-ul-Quresh had appealed to the Supreme Court saying that the above-mentioned Act won’t be implemented because it received many objections. “The submissions were also recorded by the then Chief Justice JS Khehar. Even an RTI reply has revealed that the Care and Maintenance of Case Property hasn’t been implemented yet. Despite this, confiscation of animals is rampant,” he said.
Ministry of Environment officials reportedly informed Qureshi that they would take it up with law publications and ask them to rescind these incorrect details. According to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s Act, which is the present law, any cattle trader who have been found violating the norms can be subjected to penalty and forfeiture.
“Police bring confiscated cattle to us because they don’t have facilities. Cattle have to be fed with grass and fodder. Where will police find that?” asked Abhijit, manager of Satyam Shivam Sundaram gaushala in Shamsabad. He said that while many confisated cattle were brought in during Bakrid last year, there has been none yet this year.
Feel free to slaughter bulls, but not cows!
In view of the upcoming Bakrid, Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar have asked all stakeholders to ensure no cow is slaughtered. “Cow slaughter is banned in Telangana. However, goats, bulls and buffaloes can be slaughtered,” said Kumar. He also urged cattle traders to dial helpline number 100 in case of trouble and said that “130 patrol cars have been put into service, police will be at the spot in 5-10 minutes.”