Orissa High Court passes a landmark order to protect cattle from animal cruelty

By Orissa High Court Passes A Landmark Order To Protect Cattle From Animal CrueltyCuttack (Odisha) [India], April 26 (ANI): The Orissa High Court has taken cognizance of the plea against giving the custody of cattle to the owner who was found blatantly violating all animal transportation rules.

The court was hearing the plea by Dhyan Foundation led by Senior Advocate Siddhartha Luthra, challenging the order of the revisional court which released the seized cattle to the accused owner despite evidence of fake ownership documentation and cruelty.

Dhyan Foundation had rescued cattle that were being illegally transported and in the most inhumane manner, mercilessly tied and stuffed without any provision of food and water, flouting all the rule of transport rules, in 1978.

Justice Sibo Shankar Mishra reversed the trial court's decision of November 1, 2023, and remanded the matter back to the same court, stating that the revisional court failed to take into account the crime committed by the owner in faking the ownership of the cattle and meting out cruelty towards animal.

The Court set aside the order of the District and Sessions Judge and remanded back the matter to the same Court to decide the revision petition afresh.

Looking at the miserable condition of the cattle, the local police handed them over to DF for their immediate care, protection and maintenance.

However, no health inspection and marking of cattle were conducted.

The owner's plea was rejected by the Judicial Magistrate which he had taken from the District and Sessions Judge, Mayurbhanj Baripada, who passed the decision in his favour, blatantly ignoring the fake documents and cruelty to animals.

High Court criticised the decision of the Revisional Court and directed the case back to them for petition revision.

Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra left no stone unturned to prove his point with the facts and the law by his side succeeded in preventing the cattle from going to the accused.

It's a matter of serious concern that certain lower court judges are completely ignoring the provisions of law and giving impugned orders in favour of the cattle traffickers, Justice Mishra's order is a wake-up call to allDhyan Foundation (DF), is a Non-governmental organization (NGO) that has been working for several years to save cattle from illegal slaughter.

The above-mentioned organisation has also stood with the Border Security Force (BSF) in providing shelter and taking care of the seized cattle at the borders by BSF.

Presently, DF is taking care of more than 80,000 cattle in its over 47 gaushalas across the country. (ANI)