Gujarat HC issues notices over PIL seeking ban on stray cattle

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Monday issued notice to the state government, the Centre, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (Auda) over a PIL seeking a complete ban on stray cattle on roads and demanding that FIRs for culpable homicide be registered against cattle owners who let their animals loose on public streets.
The PIL was filed by advocate Nilay Patel, who sought directions to the AMC and AUDA to make the Cattle Nuisance Control Department (CNCD) active and remove stray cattle from city roads. He sought stringent measures against cattle owners who release their animals on the roads and put people at risk. For this, he has demanded that FIRs under Section 304 of the IPC be registered against cattle owners.
The PIL also took exception to cows eating plastic and inedible material on the streets and demanded that a judicial panel be set up to draft a comprehensive and stringent law for animal protection by amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The petitioner is seeking implementation of such a that cattle are not compelled to eat plastic.
The petitioner cited a news article published on August 19, 2021, which stated TOI that stray cattle increased by 50,000 in Gujarat in the last seven years and he contended that this figure shows the negligence of AMC and AUDA officials.
The bench of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh Shastri told the petitioner that a litigation in this regard is pending and the authorities have filed a report with regard to action taken to curb the stray cattle menace. The government pleader submitted that the issue has been squarely covered by the suo motu PIL on the issue of road conditions, traffic and stray cattle. As the PIL has been adjudicated by the court, a contempt plea is pending on the subject.
The high court ordered Patel’s PIL to be tagged with the contempt petition.