HC disposes of plea as law banning bull slaughter enacted
Mumbai: A petition seeking enforcement of Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, which bans slaughter of bullocks and bulls, was on Monday disposed of by the Bombay High Court which said the law had already come into force. A bench of Justices V M Kanade and A R Joshi said the law had already come into force and nothing survives in the petition filed by Bhartiya Gauvansh Rakshan Sanvardhan Parishad. However, the judges said they are keeping the issue open as to when the Act had come into force. While the government stated that the new law banning slaughter of bulls and bullocks had come into effect on March 4, Bombay Suburban Beef Dealers’ Welfare Association, which had intervened in the petition, argued that they came to know about the new legislation only on March 9. As regards the animals confiscated by police during this period (March 4 and 9), the court said the dealers were free to approach the court by filing separate petitions. Earlier, the same bench, while refusing to grant relief to dealers, had advised them not to make a “religious and prestige issue” out of the ban on slaughter of cows, bullocks and bulls in Maharashtra. “Since the law has come into effect, now the authorities are duty-bound to take action if slaughter is carried out,” Justice Kanade had remarked. (PTI)
Modi pays obeisance at Golden Temple
Amritsar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib here. Modi reached here straight from Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district and spent around 40 minutes at Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as Golden Temple. Modi, who was on a first visit to the Golden Temple after becoming Prime Minister last year, undertook Parikrama of the complex and paid obeisance inside the sanctum sanctorum, where he was offered a ‘Siropa’, robe of honour by the priest. Inside the sanctum sanctorum, he spent around two minutes. He kneeled down and bowed before the holy Guru Granth Sahib. Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur was the first to enter the sanctom sanctorum followed by the PM, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and others. The Prime Minister, who was wearing a scarf to cover his head and clad in a Kurta Pyjama, visited Golden Temple like a common devout, mingling and interacting with other devotees when he was inside. As he took the first step inside the Golden Temple, he bowed with folded hands and then undertook Parikrama around the complex. After coming out of the Golden Temple, he also drank the holy water from the Sarovar, even as he was accompanied by Punjab Governor, Kaptan Singh Solanki, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur besides the SGPC Task Force personnel forming a security cordon. (PTI)
BSF recovers heroin worth Rs 90 crore in Punjab
Gurdaspur: BSF jawans on Monday recovered 18 kg heroin worth about Rs 90 crore from along the Indo-Pak international border in Dera Baba Nanak Sector in Gurdaspur district. The seized heroin is worth about Rs 90 crore in the international market, said Anil Paliwal, Inspector General, BSF, Punjab Frontier. N K Misra, DIG, BSF, said that besides the heroin seizure, one pistol, 1 pistol magazine and 10 rounds of ammunition were also seized. Acting on a tip off, the troops and Counter Intelligence Staff, Punjab Police, Amritsar laid an ambush in the area of Border Out Post DBN Road on the intervening night of March 22-23, he said. The troops observed suspicious movements of four persons near the international boundary, he said, adding that two persons came near border security fence and tried to insert a plastic pipe in the fence. Immediately, BSF troops challenged them but they did not pay any heed and tried to retrieve the pipe. “They also fired at our troops. To stop their misadventure and sensing danger to their life, our troops opened fire in self defence. However, smugglers managed to escape taking cover of darkness,” he said. However, blood trail of the injured smugglers was seen leading towards Pakistan territory, he said. (PTI)
Minor girl raped in UP
Bijnor: A 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a youth in Bukhara area here, police said on Monday. The accused, Farman, lured the minor girl, who lives at her grandmother’s house, to his house and raped her there last evening, police said. On hearing the girl’s cries, locals broke into the house but the accused fled from the spot, they said. Medical examination of girl is going on, police said, adding the accused will be arrested soon. (PTI)