CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the owner of a vehicle allegedly used for illegal transportation of cattle to pay Rs 1.5 lakh towards the maintenance of the seized animals as a condition for securing interim release of the vehicle.
Disposing of Faizam Alam’s petition, Justice V Narasingh on July 15 modified the order of the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Bisra (Sundargarh), which had earlier refused interim custody of the vehicle seized by police in April in connection with an alleged violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
The owner of the vehicle had not been named accused in the case. During the hearing, the state informed the court that seven bullocks rescued from the vehicle had been entrusted to a local social worker because no gaushala or authorised animal care centre was available in the area. The caretaker had already spent about Rs 2.97 lakh on their upkeep.
Taking the expenditure to be Rs 3 lakh for convenience of calculation, the court held that the petitioner should bear 50 per cent of the maintenance cost, amounting to Rs 1.5 lakh.
The HC directed Alam to deposit Rs 1 lakh at the time of release of the vehicle and pay the remaining Rs 50,000 in five equal monthly instalments of Rs 10,000 each.
The first instalment will become due three months after the vehicle is released, with the trial court fixing the payment schedule.
Justice Narasingh made it clear that any default in payment would automatically recall the interim release order, allowing the trial court to proceed in accordance with law.
The court further ordered that the amounts deposited be handed over to Narayan Mahato, the social worker caring for the cattle, and directed the District Legal Services Authority to conduct periodic inspections to ensure the animals’ welfare in compliance with the 2017 Rules.
