LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court recently urged the Central government to ban cow slaughter in the country and declare cow as a "national protected animal", since it is the representative of divinity in Hinduism and across other faiths.
Passing the order in the case Mohammad Abdul Khaliq vs State on February 14, the single-judge bench comprising Justice Shamim Ahmed invoked Puranas observing that anyone who killed cows or allowed others to kill them was deemed to rot in hell.
Justice Ahmad further said that since it was a secular country, all religions including Hinduism should be respected and the cow was considered the most sacred of all animals in Hinduism.
"We are living in a secular country and must have respect for all religions and in Hinduism, the belief and faith is that cow is representative of divine and natural beneficence and should therefore be protected and venerated,” observed the judge.
He added that in the late 19th and 20th centuries in India, a movement to protect cows was spearheaded that strove to unify the citizens by demanding the Government of India to ban cow slaughter with immediate effect.
"This Court also hopes and trusts that the Central Government may take appropriate decision to ban cow slaughtering in the country and to declare the same as 'protected national animal'," added the Bench.
The bench passed the order while hearing a plea filed by one Mohammad Abdul Khaliq, who had moved the Court seeking the quashing of a criminal case filed against him for cow slaughtering and its transportation for sale.
The Court found that a prima facie case was made out against the accused.
"From the perusal of the materials on record and looking into the facts of the present case and after considering the arguments made at the bar, it does not appear that no offence has been made out against the applicant," said Justice Ahmad while refusing to quash the case.
"Accordingly, the present application under Section 482 CrPC filed by the applicant
is dismissed," the order said.
An FIR was filed lodged against Khaliq on November 2, 2019, on charges of cow slaughter and smuggling under various sections of the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955.
The single judge in the order made detailed observations on cow protection and the importance of cows in Hinduism. The Court said that the origin of the veneration of the cow could be traced to the Vedic period.
Referring to the Mahabharata, the judge stated that Bhishma Pitamah (grandfather of Kauravas and Pandavas) had observed that the cow acted as a surrogate mother by providing milk to human beings for a lifetime, so she was truly the mother of the world.