Act against illegal camel trafficking: HC

The first bench, comprising Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, passed the direction on disposing of a petition filed by People for Cattle in India.

The petitioner sought a direction to the government to take effective steps to prohibit illegal transportation and slaughtering of the camel in Tamil Nadu.

“We dispose of it with a direction to the respondents to take all the measures to stop illegal trafficking of camel or slaughtering. If anyone indulges in illegal trafficking and slaughtering activities, the respondents shall take every step against the person and it may include even lodging of FIR for the commission of the offence(s) under the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, especially in reference to Sections 3 and 5,” Chief Justice Bhandari said.

The petitioner submitted that the camels were brought from Rajasthan and other states for the purpose of slaughtering on certain days and the slaughtering has taken place in such a brutal manner that no human being would accept the same.

P Muthukumar, Government Pleader, submitted that no separate slaughtering house for camels is available in Chennai and no such incidents of illegal trafficking and slaughtering activities had taken place in Chennai. However, the petitioner’s counsel submitted photographs and news items displaying the slaughtering of camels in Chennai to show that the act has been taking place in the city.

On recording the submissions, the judges appreciated the effort of the petitioners holding that the photographs showing the manner of slaughtering, is inhumane.