Madras HC seeks details of cows given to self-help groups, NGO by HR&CE
The devotees donated the cows to the temple having hope that it will be maintained with proper care but the HR & CE have been giving the cows to goshalas and self-help groups
Madras High Court (MHC)
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the State to place the details of the cows given to self-help groups and the purpose of giving the cows to NGOs, which were donated to the temple by devotees.
The first division bench comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice J Sathya Narayana Prasad heard a petition seeking to direct the trustees of Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple Trichy to properly maintain the cows, bulls, and bullocks donated by the devotees, in the natural environment.
The petitioner Rangarajan Narasimhan, a follower of Sanatan Dharma, contended that the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) is giving the donated cows to the self-help groups, and later the cows eventually end up in slaughterhouses.
The devotees donated the cows to the temple having hope that it will be maintained with proper care but the HR & CE have been giving the cows to goshalas and self-help groups. The persons responsible for this should be punished, the petitioner contended.
Special Government Pleader (SGP) NRR Arun Natarajan submitted that the HR-amp;CE retaining the cows providing milk which will be used for poojas and the cows unable to produce milk are being taken to the self-help groups.
Since the number of cows donated by the devotees are increasing, the temple cannot afford all beyond the capacity, said the SGP. It was also submitted that the cows are taken to recognized self-help groups and the cows are not taken to slaughterhouses.
The petitioner intervened and submitted that he visited the self-help groups and found no such establishments were available; the addresses given by the HR&CE are fake.
No cows are found in the goshalas also, he added.
After the submission, the bench directed the State to submit the details of the self-help groups and the number of cows given to the groups. The matter was posted on April 29 for further submission.
The petitioner filed the petition seeking to direct the trustees of Shri Ranganatha Swamy temple, to allocate 10 acres of land to maintain the cows, bulls, bullocks, and calves donated to the temple.
The petition also sought to frame rules in the HR&CE act to preserve the cows and other cattle donated to the temple, under natural environment.
