Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday said its direction to shut down shops that illegally sell exotic birds and animals applies to the entire city and not just Crawford Market.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice G.S. Kulkarni was hearing a PIL filed by social activist Sanjay Shirke that seeks an immediate shutdown of pet shops at Crawford Market due to instances of animal cruelty and illegal trade of exotic species. The PIL seeks permanent and temporary foster homes for rescued such birds and animals till their adoption. The petitioner also urges for criminal proceedings to be initiated against pet shop owners.
The court was informed that animals and birds are still be sold at Crawford Market, Kurla and other parts of the city. The court said the possibility cannot be ruled out that shops are shut but the illegal trade is still going on, and said the BMC must check licenses of all shopkeepers while disposing of the PIL.
The PIL mentions that as per data with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, 8,000 birds have been seized and rescued from Crawford Market in the last 20 years. It also mentions the the sale of birds like koel, jungle fowl, macaws, hornbills, peacocks, munia, parakeets, mynahs, restricted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 are openly sold in the market.
In the last hearing, advocate Abhishek Yende and advocate Sanjukta Dey submitted an affidavit that comprised of pictures of the market showing the present condition of animals and birds. The court had directed all shops at Crawford market that illegally sold animals and birds directed the ward officers under which Crawford market falls and the Senior Inspector of the area to check all the licenses of shop keepers and ensure no illegal sale of animals and birds takes place. The court had also directed two secretaries to conduct surprise visits in the market and file a report on the same in four weeks.
