By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 21: The High Court of Meghalaya has refused to pass any further verdict on a writ petition pertaining to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and its Rules, and accordingly disposed of the writ petition.
The petition was pending with the court for about five years.
Although a prayer for adjournment was made by the counsel for the petitioners on behalf of his senior, the Single Bench of Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji found the issue to be very short and noted that the counsel was competent enough to proceed with the matter.
The court noted that the cause of action and reliefs claimed in the writ petition are substantially similar to those in the PIL No. 2 of 2021 (Gau Gyan Foundation versus Union of India & others), which was disposed of by a Division Bench of this Court by its order dated May 26, 2023. The court relied on a status report filed by the respondents further to an order dated May 4, 2023, which expressed complete satisfaction with the steps taken by the respondents under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and its Rules regarding the transportation and keeping of cattle and other animals, the method of slaughter, dealing with skin fur, carcass, etc. after slaughter exposure to public view, and treatment of meat put up for sale in meat shops after slaughter.
This writ challenges two orders of the respondents dated December 21, 2018 and February 8, 2019, concerning the identification and creation of Gaushalas for keeping cattle and livestock seized by authorities in or near the international border in Meghalaya on the ground of illegal importation.
The court found such apprehension unfounded and stated that authorities may exert the same power under the Act and Rules over the buyer as they do in respect of the original owner.
The court said that in view of the order dated May 26, 2023 disposing of the earlier PIL, no further order needed to be passed in the writ save and except a direction that the authorities will keep on strictly complying with the said order and also ensure that the buyer of cattle under the aforesaid impugned notifications strictly comply with the said Act and Rules and that the authorities take punitive action against them in case of violation.
