The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday a formed a panel to inspect slaughter houses that are allegedly operating illegally in Bengaluru and asked the panel to submit a preliminary report by October 21 after inspecting the places.
The court also directed the city police commissioner to provide necessary security for the panel.
Justice Aravind Kumar passed the order while hearing two petitions, related to offences related to cattle and illegal transportation and slaughter of cattle, in which the petitioners have sought direction to the Centre and State governments to implement laws enacted to prevent cruelty to animals, protection of cow progeny, and to take steps to stop illegal slaughter houses in the State.
Two advocates, H.V. Hareesh and D.P. Prasanna, who have been appointed as court commissioners for this purposes, will be part of the panel. Rachaiah, a government pleader in the High Court, and two petitioners, Kavitha Jain and Joshnie Antony, both representing Gau Gyan Foundation, will also be in the panel.
Meanwhile, the government counsel pointed out to the court that complaints about illegal slaughtering crop up only on the eve of certain festivals and the absence of adequate slaughter houses is the main reason for illegal slaughtering of cattle.
In the petition, filed by representatives of the Foundation, it was alleged that the police had failed to take timely action against illegal transportation and slaughtering of cattle in September this year despite an order passed by a magistrate court.
Meanwhile, in a petition filed by Chinmaya Rai, an advocate from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district, it has been alleged that the police have issued a notice to him after he became counsel for some of the activists on whose intervention the police had arrested people illegally transporting cows and later booked a case against the activists based on a counter complaint by persons accused of illegal transport of cattle. Mr. Rai had complained that both the Centre and State governments have failed to implement laws related to preventing cruelty to animals, protection of cow progeny and illegal slaughter houses.
