CUTTACK: The State CB-CID has claimed before the Orissa High Court that the Orissa Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1960, Orissa Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1966 and the provisions under section 428 and 429 of Indian Penal Code are being implemented meticulously in the State to prevent illegal transportation of cow.
In an affidavit DSP (CB-CID) Cuttack, Saroj Kanta Mohanta also claimed that the existing provision made in Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960 and Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1960 is adequate to prevent cruelty as well as curb illegal cow slaughter.
"As a whole, the Odisha Police is implementing the existing laws swiftly when the matter is either reported to the local police or the police get any such information from any other sources," he stated. The affidavit was filed in response to a PIL seeking a court monitored Special Task Force to prevent illegal transportation of cows and prohibition of cow slaughter in the state.
A city based social activist Jayanti Das had filed the petition.Taking note of it the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice RK Pattanaik directed the petitioner’s counsel BK Ragada to file a rejoinder by September 13, the date fixed for next hearing on the matter.
The report on cases of illegal transportation attached to the affidavit indicated that the number of cases had gone up from 117 in 2017 to 371 in 2021. Of the 1,033 cases registered during the five years as many as 143 cases were detected in the north Odisha districts of Balasore (57), Bhadrak (62) and Mayurbhanj (24).
The report revealed an increasing number of cases of illegal transportation of cows were being registered following interception of vehicles and subsequent seizures in the State. In the affidavit, Mohanta said, Cuttack DCP had taken action against illegal cow transporters by registering 13 cases in 2021 and also taken several preventive steps to check it.