Cow is substitute to mother, says HC

The Hyderabad HC has granted a further one month’s time to the governments of AP and TS to make the act of mischievously killing or maiming cattle, including cows, a non-bailable offence by amending Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code.

Maintaining that there was no progress in this regard, Judge Siva Sankara Rao ruled that “it is also the need to amend the certificate if issued of a healthy cow or bull or calf as if not fit and to permit from such certificate to slaughter the veterinary doctor who issued such certificate is also liable for penal consequences by incorporating in Section 10 of AP Cow Slaughter Act, 1977 making it as cognizable and non-bailable offence, besides attracting of other penal provisions of IPC.”

While dealing with the plea of Ramavath Hanuma of Nalgonda district, the judge framed a question: “whether a person claiming to be owner or representing the owner, either to kill or to sell for slaughter, entitled to interim custody of cows and bulls seized from him...?”

M.A. Mukheet, counsel for the petitioner submitted that the cows were grazing in open place and that there was no cruelty that would attract Section 11 of the Act of 1960 and even Sections 5, 6 and 10 of the Act of 1977 do not apply, and that handing over of animals to gaushalas was illegal.

The public prosecutor of the state contended that the order of the lower court holds good and there was prima facie accusation under the Act II of 1977 and the procedure was established by law that on information that cows are being subjected to slaughter for sacrifice on the occasion of a Muslim festival, the police are entitled to seize the cattle and it was not wrong to entrust the animals to gaushalas. While upholding the order of the lower court, the judge pointed out that it was not the end of the issue, negating the contention of the petitioner, but to answer further on the contention raised on religious sacrifices.

The judge noted that “in this country for those in belief who represent a majority of population, cow is a substitute to mother, who is a substitute to God. The cow in particular acquires a special sanctity and was called Aghnya (not to be slain). Thus, cow is a sacred national wealth and no one merely owned can claim, but for to rear, either to kill or to sell for slaughter”

Citing the Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas, the judge noted that "Cows are equivalent to our mothers for when the mother's milk has dried up, the cow gives her milk unselfishly. How can one justify the killing of such a mother?”

The judge said, “So from these examples it can be clearly understood that cow killing and cow eating were definitely not sanctioned by the scriptures. According to Bible cow killing is not sanctioned in the Christian religion either.”

While granting the order the judge directed the Registry to communicate this order to chief secretaries of both governments to take necessary steps and report compliance by June 5.

When this case came up for hearing, the PPs of both states asked for more time and the judge granted time till July 7 to report compliance. A 27-year-old trader committed suicide in Petbasheerabad after losing money in cricket bets. Ghan Shyam Chand hung himself at home and left a suicide note in which he said that he was burdened by massive losses. Shyam had got married in May 2017.

Shyam was a resident of M.N. Reddy Nagar in Petbasheerabad. He ran a kirana store in Bowenpally. He had been betting on cricket matches since some few years. He recently bet huge amounts, which he ended up losing, thus landing him in a crisis.

Shyam and his family attended a wedding and returned home on Wednesday night. After his wife and parents fell asleep, he hung himself. When his family found him hanging, they rushed him to hospital. But doctors declared him dead on arrival.

A case of suspicious death was registered based on a complaint filed by Shyam’s father Durgaram. The police recovered a suicide note in which Shyam said that he had lost a lot of money through betting, which had led him to depression.

B.D. Prem Kumar, the SI of Petbasheerabad, said, “He did not name anybody in the suicide note. We are in the process of collecting other pieces of evidence. Once we analyse his mobile phone records, we may get more information.”

Meanwhile, police raided a cricket betting hub on Thursday and arrested three bookies.