Laws relating to cow slaughter are being abused in UP

-Allahabad High Court slaps state government

-Innocent people were harassed

Allahabad dated 27th October 2020 Tuesday

The Allahabad High Court had held that the 1955 law relating to cow slaughter in Uttar Pradesh was grossly abused and that innocent people were constantly harassed. Innocents were being harassed for treating any meat as beef for lack of forensic evidence.

Justice Siddharth, while hearing the case of one accused Rahimuddin, said that innocent people were being imprisoned due to misuse of the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955. Rahimuddin was accused of carrying illegal beef. Police arrested him and put him in jail.

Rahimuddin's relatives applied for bail. Justice Siddharth said that when meat is caught at a place, instead of sending it to a forensic laboratory for examination, it is treated as beef and totally innocent people are sent to jail. The law was being grossly abused. In most cases the meat is sent to jail by a first class magistrate instead of being sent to a laboratory.

Earlier, on October 19, the High Court had said that weaned and old cows should also be taken care of. If the government can bring a law on the slaughter of cows, then steps should also be taken to take care of the old and worn out cows. Such cows are left to roam the streets. Justice Siddharth also went so far as to say that after weaning the cows that give milk, their owners leave them wandering on the road to eat in the garbage or to drink dirty sewage water. Such cows are sitting on the roads so the number of accidents has also increased in addition to traffic jams. Action should also be taken against such irresponsible owners.